They nibble, squeak, scurry, and have completely stolen sophomore Jasmine Shipley’s heart. Lorenzo and Valentino, two little white mice who once served as test subjects, now rule a cozy corner of her room in Howard House.
Shipley first met the duo in her ecology class, where she was running tests on them. She said she got connected to them to the point where she asked her professor, Scott Eckert, if she could keep them.
Shipley has had Val and Enzo for almost nine months and has loved every minute of it. “It gives me something to take care of, and I think if you have something relying on you to be taken care of, then that encourages you to take care of yourself,” she shared, reflecting on the impact Val and Enzo have had on her life.
They may be unusual pets, but Shipley has shown how much they are adored.