Kadyn Jack, 10, of Sarver pushes her dog Peeples in a stroller down Main Street during the annual Saxonburg Pet Parade.

Ava Hamm says Ralphie is her favorite pet.

“Because I can ride him,” says the tiny 6-year-old who sports a giant pink cowboy hat with rhinestones.

Ralphie is a donkey.

Maybe a little unusual, sure. But father Josh Hamm says Ralphie was picked for his mild temperament.

Ava — who also has pet cats, dogs, ducks and a chicken — wanted a pet she could ride around the family farm in Sarver.

Josh says a donkey was selected because they tend to be a little more calm than ponies.

In many households the pets are loved like family members. One of the bigger differences, as the saying goes, is “you can't pick your relatives.” But you can pick your pets.

“They are loyal,” Chris Walker said of his choice of Buddy, a 2-year-old German Shepherd who likes to play ball.

Brandi Lumley of Butler said her 7-year-old Tabby is a beagle.

“We've always had beagles. We're a hunting family,” Brandi said.

And Thelma Hassler of Center Township said she picked her Sadie two years ago because she lives in a condo, and Havanese are bred to live in small places. Havanese, a Cuban breed, barks and sheds very sparingly.“I'm very pleased,” Hassler said. “I love my Sadie.”Both “Buddy” and “Sadie” made it to the 2014 list of most popular names for the 30,000 dogs registered in Butler County, according to the office of County Treasurer Diane Marburger.Buddy was most picked, and Sadie was ninth.No surprise, most recent U.S. Census data says dogs and cats top the list of most popular pets in the nation. But that doesn't stop people from thinking outside the box.Nine-year-old Ava Verzilli of Saxonburg chose a Greek tortoise as a pet. Named “Crush,” the tortoise is about the size of a dinner plate and eats only fruits and vegetables.“I don't know why she picked him,” says mom Diana Verzilli, who notes the family also has more traditional pets.They got a cat, Chloe, after a beloved dog died. But Ava's sister, 11-year-old Olivia, is more of the cat person.So one day Ava cornered her mother and said, “Mom, a cat is not a dog,” and shortly thereafter the family got Bella, a labradoodle, for Ava's birthday.

The family's newest addition, a polydactyl cat named Mittens, showed up on the doorstep as a kitten.Polydactyls have extra toes and are often associated with Nobel Prize winning author Ernest Hemingway, who had quite a collection.“Her momma must have left her behind,” Diana says. “And Ava the animal lover said we couldn't leave her out there. She convinced me to take in the cat so she could find it a good home. She did. It has a good home.”At Jack McDonald Stables in Renfrew, an 8-year-old pot-bellied pig named Rosie has her own apartment and hangs out with her friends — more than a dozen show horses on the property to be trained and a 13-year-old Dalmatian named Doc.“She's a fun pet to have and intelligent,” said Duane Robinson, who has owned Rosie since she was a 3-year-old. “She's very personable to me.”Jeannine Mullen of Saxonburg also has an odd mix: Her eldest pet, a Chihuahua named GiGi Fifi is full grown at 5½ pounds. The baby of the family, a 15-month-old Irish Wolfhound, will top out at around 160 pounds when fully grown.Mullen said the family is looking to her son, 9-year-old Adam, to maybe pick the “in between” pet.

Jordan Foertsch, 7, of Saxonburg rides her horse at the Saxonburg Pet Parade. No matter how big or small, most pets become like another member of the family.

Jenna Hildebrand, 3, of Saxonburg drives with her pet chicken riding shotgun during the parade. With so many choices available for a family pet, children and adults can't go wrong.