Eckerd College President Jim Annarelli poses with Luna and Luna’s owner, Tia Soultanakis ’26. Photos by Lisa Presnail.
Students gathered on April 30 at Eckerd College for its 14th Annual Pet Graduation, where seniors celebrated their furry, feathered and scaly companions as they received honorary diplomas through Pet Life.
Nearly 60 pets were recognized in this year’s ceremony, including 22 dogs, 16 cats, six lizards, four snakes, two turtles, two guinea pigs, and a single hermit crab, ferret, crayfish, parrot, bunny and axolotl.
The tradition highlights the role animals play in student life at Eckerd. Through the Pet Life program, students can register approved pets to live on campus while staff members work to ensure the safety of both the animals and the campus community through vaccinations, registration requirements and other guidelines.
Pet Life events throughout the year help students navigate questions about caring for pets while living on campus.
Shayla Lapp, assistant director of residence life, oversaw her first pet graduation this year during her first year supervising Pet Life.
Professor Elizabeth Forys, Ph.D., is presented an honorary Dog-torate by Shayla Lapp at the 2026 Pet Graduation
The 2026 pet graduation included nearly 60 pets and featured 11 different species of pet, including four snakes.
“What is so great about it is it’s a tradition that has stayed the same over the years,” Lapp said.
The annual ceremony includes the presentation of honorary “dog-torates,” which are awards recognizing individuals who have contributed to Pet Life or animal welfare efforts within the Eckerd community.
This year, the first honorary Dog-torate was presented to Dixon and Pam Grayless of Houston, Texas, parents of Emily Grayless ’25, who established the Pet Life endowment fund in celebration of their daughter’s work in Pet Life during her time at Eckerd. It marked the first time the award was given to someone outside the college’s faculty or staff.
The second honorary Dog-torate was awarded to Elizabeth Forys, Ph.D., professor of environmental science and biology, for helping implement bird-safe window decals across campus to reduce bird collision deaths.
Dixon and Pam Grayless, parents of Emily Grayless ’25 (not pictured), receive their honorary Dog-torate from Shayla Lapp.
Among the pets recognized at the ceremony was Tito the crayfish, owned by senior Averi Kochiss, a senior environmental and animal studies student from Shelton, Connecticut. Although Tito did not attend the ceremony in person, the crayfish still received a diploma alongside the other graduating pets.
“I had never been to pet graduation before, but after going this year, I completely understand why it’s such a well-known tradition on campus,” says Max Garr, a junior human development and psychology student from Minneapolis, Minnesota. “The event showed a side of the Eckerd community that makes the school feel unique.”
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