Duggar Family Pets: Meet the 'Counting On' Brood's Furry Friends

A new furry family member! The Duggars are known for having a massive (and always growing) brood, so are there any pets in the Counting On squad?

Animal lovers might be pleased to learn Jill Dillard (née Duggar) and her husband, Derick Dillard, announced they adopted a dog on February 24, 2021.

“After being cooped up for a while with the big winter storm and school still out for Israel, we decided to go visit some animals at the shelter!” the mom of two shared in a new post via her family blog. “We love animals and always enjoy visiting them in any environment … at pet stores, the zoo, watching videos online and checking out different dog breeds, but we didn’t expect this to happen!”

The couple’s eldest son, Israel, told his mom and dad that he and brother Samuel would happily train their new pup and help out with any responsibilities. Of course, the kids were overjoyed when Jill and Derick were ready to make it official and take their new pooch home. “Her name was Grindle when we got her, but we will share her new name in the next video!” Jill told one fan on social media, before letting another person know they are already “in love” with their adorable dog!

Fans were just as enthused to learn Jill and Derick rescued a dog instead of going to a local breeder. “You’re setting a great example for your followers,” one wrote. The pair later revealed they named their pup Fenna in a sweet update via their family blog on March 3.

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So, what about the rest of her reality family’s thoughts on having pets? Jim Bob Duggar previously spoke out about the topic in a 2011 interview. “I grew up watching TV, but when [Michelle and I] got married, a doctor friend of ours encouraged us not to have a pet or a TV the first year of marriage,” he explained to HuffPost. “So, we did that. For the first year we lived on love.”

“I would say that is one of the best things we have done for our family,” he added. Still, they have accepted a few furry friends into their home over the years.

Scroll down to learn more about the Duggars’ history with canines, felines, and the occasional guinea pig.

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Look closely and you’ll also spot the existence of a dog named Bubba.

Literally “look closely” because that friend seems to be lurking in the right-hand corner of Jinger and Jeremy‘s proposal scene. And if you squint really hard, you can even see Jasmine seemingly sitting next to them! There’s also a 19 Kids and Counting episode where the kids take him for a bath. Moreover, in a Duggar webisode where the family is pet-sitting a pup named Tilly, Jackson stresses to a confused crew member, “Bubba’s our dog.”

And about that…

This web episode featuring little Tilly shows they enjoy having a pet around.

Tilly is their neighbor Vanessa’s dog, but she pretty much became a part of the family over time. “My Jennifer absolutely loves Tilly,” Michelle previously said. “Tilly is a pretty easy-going dog and that can be a good thing or that can be a bad thing. In one sense, the children kind of over-love on her.”

Despite “overloving” Tilly, Jenni was also entrusted with a guinea pig.

“Well, this just happened today! Here’s Jenni and her new Guinea!” the Duggars announced on social media. “We’ve talked all day through possible names and decided we should ask our Facebook friends to help Jenni name!” In her birthday message the following year, the Duggars shared an update, writing, “Jenni loves to cook and sew, and she loves animals, including her pet Guinea pig, Nibbles!”

ICYMI, the Duggars also have an interesting track record with cats.

We’ll start with the focal point of “Konstruction and Kittens.” In this vintage 19 Kids and Counting episode, the Duggars gradually end up with a ton of little felines. At the end of the episode, Jim Bob announces, “We found seven more under the house.”

We also know that Josh and Anna got a kitten brilliantly named “Kitty,” making her debut in “Josie’s First Birthday.”

Now, here’s another interesting tidbit of information: the episode preceding “Konstruction and Kittens” shows Anna and Josh getting a new kitten named Domino. In the Duggar Family Blog, we’re informed that, “Just like the Duggars’ previous cat, Domino will soon live outside. For those who were wondering, the feline featured in ‘Josie’s First Birthday’ eventually stopped coming home.”