By Sara Beth Williams–
A local pet pigeon from Citrus Heights was nominated for a rather unusual recognition: an annual Wacky Pet Names contest hosted by a pet insurance company.
Each year, Nationwide’s pet insurance team celebrates some of the craziest names among its insured pets, and local pet pigeon Luna Dovegood was among 30 “Wacky Pet Names” finalists announced in a mid-April press release.
Pet owner Christiana Reed, who has been a Nationwide pet insurance member since 2025, says her pet pigeon was named after Luna Lovegood, a “very talented witch” from the Harry Potter series.
“Named for the gentle dreamer (and very talented witch) from the Harry Potter series, this Luna isn’t ‘looney’ so much as she’s ‘dovey’—meet Luna Dovegood,” Reed said, adding that Lovegood is her favorite character from the Harry Potter series.
“She’s technically a white homing pigeon, but pigeons and doves come from the same family, and her personality is very sweet and ‘dovey,’” Reed said.
Luna isn’t above using her witchy talents to court favor with her bird dad. Reed said she often tries to “steal my husband from me!”
“She’s a solo home pet and has figured out that there’s no better guy in the world than my hubby, so she courts him right in front of me. It’s adorable, and Hubby is flattered, but thankfully he’s still mine,” Reed said.
This year’s Wacky Pet Names finalists reflected a trend in pet naming inspired by humor, pop culture, and wordplay, Nationwide said on its website. This year’s finalists showcased imagination across a range of pets, from dogs and cats to exotic pets, including a bearded dragon and a ferret.
Three winners in the contest were announced April 22 on the pet insurance’s website and included a cat named Chedder Big Booty Cheeseburger, a dog named Internet Browser, and a bearded dragon wearing a cowboy hat named Space Cowboy.
Overall, 30 pets finaled in the contest as nominees: 10 cats, 10 dogs, and 10 exotic pets, including Luna Dovegood and two other birds, a hedgehog, a rabbit, a snake, a gecko, a ferret, a guinea pig, and the bearded dragon. One winner was chosen from each pet category.
Though not a winner this year, Luna Dovegood was in good company with several other finalist pets whose names referenced famous (and infamous) cultural icons, such as: a corn snake named Obi-Wan Cornobi, inspired by the Star Wars Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, a hedgehog named Quillie Nelson, inspired by famous singer Willie Nelson, and a puppy named Howl Capone, based on Chicago mobster Al Capone.
Many other winning pets in past years have also had names referencing cultural icons, including a black cat named Edger Allen Paw, a pot-bellied pig named Piggie Smalls, a blonde Holland Lop bunny named Thor Odinbun, God of Bunder, and a black and white tuxedo cat named Tony “Scareface” Baloney.
Since 2015, Nationwide has named 26 pets total as winners in their annual Wacky Pet Name contest, including the three winners in 2026.
