List of animals awarded human credentials

{{Short description|List of animals granted human academic credentials to expose diploma mills}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}} {{globalize|article|the Anglophone world|date=March 2025}} This '''list of animals awarded human credentials''' includes nonhuman animals who have been submitted as applicants to suspected diploma mills, and have been awarded a diploma. On occasion, they have been admitted and granted a degree, as reported in reliable sources. Animals are often used as a device to clearly demonstrate the lax standards or fraudulent activities of the awarding institutions. In at least one case, a cat's degree helped lead to a successful fraud prosecution against the institution that had issued it.

On occasion, accredited institutions award mock degrees to animals for humorous purposes, e.g. UNSW awarded a "{{not a typo|dogtorate}}" (not ''doctorate'') to a dog;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/unsw/posts/10161167158205644 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/50461955643/10161167158205644 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|title=UNSW|website=www.facebook.com|access-date=March 3, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> such cases are not included below.

==Cats== ===Colby Nolan (MBA){{anchor|Colby Nolan}}=== Colby Nolan was a house cat who was awarded an MBA in 2004 by Trinity Southern University, a Dallas-based diploma mill, sparking a fraud lawsuit by the Pennsylvania attorney general's office.<ref>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026103729/http://www.nbc10.com/money/3975070/detail.html| url=http://www.nbc10.com/money/3975070/detail.html| archive-date=October 26, 2007| title=Cat Gets MBA Degree—Kitty Also Had A 3.5 GPA | work=NBC10.com Money| publisher=NBC10| date=December 6, 2004 |access-date=March 31, 2010 }}</ref>

Colby Nolan lived with a deputy attorney general. In looking to expose Trinity Southern University for fraud, undercover agents had the then-six-year-old feline obtain a bachelor's degree in business administration for $299. On the animal's application, the agents claimed that the cat had previously taken courses at a community college, worked at a fast-food restaurant, babysat, and maintained a newspaper route. In response, the institution informed Colby that, due to the job experience listed on his application, he was eligible for an executive MBA which he could obtain for an additional $100. The transcript submitted by the agents claimed that Colby had a GPA of 3.5.

Upon learning that the cat received the degree, Pennsylvania attorney general Jerry Pappert filed a lawsuit against Trinity Southern University.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6664906 | title=School that awarded MBA to cat sued | publisher=NBC News | author=AP | date=December 6, 2004 | access-date=March 31, 2010 | archive-date=October 5, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005020830/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6664906/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In the lawsuit, Pappert directed the diploma mill, which had used email spam to sell degrees, to provide restitution to anyone who had ordered a degree from them.

In December 2004, the Texas attorney general obtained a temporary restraining order under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act against Trinity Southern and its owners, Craig B. and Alton S. Poe. The court also ordered the school's assets frozen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/tx_tsu.html|title=Texas Freezes Assets of Online University|work=Consumer Affairs|date=December 18, 2004|access-date=March 31, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115014527/http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/tx_tsu.html|archive-date=January 15, 2010}}</ref> In March 2005, the Poes were assessed penalties of over $100,000 by the court and were ordered not to market or promote fraudulent, substandard degree programs or to represent their university as being accredited or affiliated with legitimate universities.<ref>{{cite news|date=March 18, 2005|title=Internet 'university' that gave cat a diploma is fined|page=6B|work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|location=Texas|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ST&s_site=dfw&p_multi=ST&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=108FBC19E2DE25B4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|access-date=October 14, 2010|archive-date=October 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024124645/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ST&s_site=dfw&p_multi=ST&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=108FBC19E2DE25B4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|url-status=dead}} {{Subscription required}}</ref><ref name="ConsumerAffairs">{{cite web|url=http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/diploma_mill.html|title=Diploma Mill Operators Hit With Court Judgments|work=Consumer Affairs.|date=March 18, 2005|access-date=March 31, 2010|archive-date=January 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115014751/http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/diploma_mill.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It was reported that the Poes were also associated with Wesleyan International University and Prixo Southern University.<ref name="ConsumerAffairs" /> Trinity Southern University's website has been offline since 2005.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.trinitysouthernuniversity.org/ Trinity Southern University website] history at ''[https://web.archive.org Web Archive]'', showing it offline as of 2005. Retrieved April 7, 2010</ref>

=== George (registration for practice as a hypnotherapist)<span class="anchor" id="George"></span> ===

In 2009, George, a cat owned by Chris Jackson (presenter of the BBC show ''Inside Out North East & Cumbria''), was registered as a hypnotherapist after his owner created a fake certificate from a non-existing institution and used it to register with three professional organizations: the British Board of Neuro Linguistic Programming, the United Fellowship of Hypnotherapists, and the Professional Hypnotherapy Practitioner Association.<ref name="bbc-george" />

=== Henrietta (Hettie, certified member of the American Association of Nutritional Consultants) ===

In 2007, the cat Henrietta, despite having been dead for around a year, was successfully registered as a certified member of the American Association of Nutritional Consultants by her owner Ben Goldacre, doctor and author of the Bad Science column in the ''Guardian'' newspaper and subsequent book. Goldacre registered Henrietta with AANC to showcase the complete lack of any verification for membership, beyond payment of $60, after TV nutritionist Gillian McKeith promoted her AANC membership among other unverified qualifications.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |date=2004-09-30 |title=Dr Gillian McKeith (PhD) continued |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2004/sep/30/badscience.research |access-date=2024-06-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

===Kitty O'Malley (high school diploma)=== In 1973, the Lakeland, Florida newspaper ''The Ledger'' obtained a high school diploma from "Washington High Academy" for Kitty O'Malley, a cat also known as Spanky. While the diploma was deemed insufficient to gain Kitty admission to local colleges, the state attorney general's office planned to investigate the institution.<ref name="ledge=omalley">{{cite news |last=Erlick |first=June |date=November 1, 1973 |title=No College Wants Kitty |newspaper=The Ledger |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dGwsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=evoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7174%2C124361 |access-date=June 5, 2022}}</ref>

===Oliver Greenhalgh (fellowship of estate valuation professional society)=== On December 10, 1967, ''The Times'' reported that Oliver Greenhalgh had been accepted as a fellow of the English Association of Estate Agents and Valuers, after a payment of eleven guineas (his two references were not verified). Oliver was a cat belonging to Michael Greenhalgh, a cameraman with Television Wales and the West, who was pursuing an investigation of bogus professional associations.<ref name="Oliver Greenhalgh">{{cite news|title=Cat becomes an estate agent|location=London|newspaper=The Times|date=December 10, 1967 |page= 3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Professions and Professionalization: Volume 3, Sociological Studies|first=J. A. |last=Jackson|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year= 2010|page=12 (Footnote 4)|isbn=978-0-521-13647-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QtCSaAMtWCYC&pg=PA12 }}</ref>

===Oreo Collins (high school diploma){{anchor|Oreo Collins}}=== Oreo C. Collins (born around 2007) is a tuxedo cat who gained notoriety when she received a diploma from Jefferson High School Online in 2009, although her age was misrepresented in order to qualify.<ref>{{cite web|last=Collette |first=Christopher |date=August 13, 2009 |url=http://www.wtsp.com/includes/tools/print.aspx?storyid=111489 |title=Georgia cat gets GED |publisher=WTSP, courtesy WMAZ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20111028155503/http://www.wtsp.com/includes/tools/print.aspx?storyid=111489 |archive-date=October 28, 2011 |access-date=June 2, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The sting was an investigative operation by the Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia headed by Kelvin Collins, Oreo's owner.<ref>{{cite web|last=Popkin|first=Helen A.S. |url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32420644/ns/tech_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817002019/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32420644/ns/tech_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 17, 2009 |title=Clever cat earns 'high school diploma' online| work=Today Money|publisher=MSNBC|date=August 14, 2009 |access-date= August 21, 2009}}</ref>

===Zoe D. Katze (psychotherapist and hypnotherapy certifications){{anchor|Zoe D. Katze}}=== Zoe D. Katze ("Zoe the Cat" in German) was a house cat owned by psychologist Steve K. D. Eichel. Around 2001, Eichel obtained a psychotherapy certification for his cat from the American Psychotherapy Association and several hypnotherapy credentials from other organizations.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cosgrove-Mather|first=Bootie|date=January 16, 2004|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-your-psychotherapist-qualified/|title=Is Your Psychotherapist Qualified?|publisher=CBS News|work=Jim Acosta Reports|access-date=December 4, 2009|archive-date=December 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091205082819/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/16/eveningnews/consumer/main593790.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bbc-george"/> The certification of Zoe has been cited in several books and articles on credentialing scams, and has appeared in psychology and forensic curricula. Eichel also served as the consultant to the BBC investigation that led to the certification of George the cat by several UK hypnosis associations.<ref name="bbc-george">{{cite news | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8303126.stm | title=Cat registered as hypnotherapist | website=BBC | date=October 12, 2009 | access-date=November 6, 2009 | archive-date=November 20, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120013656/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8303126.stm | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Dogs==

=== Chester Ludlow (MBA)=== In 2009, Chester Ludlow, a pug from Vermont, was awarded an MBA by Rochville University. His owner submitted an application and US$499 and received a "diploma, two sets of transcripts, a certificate of distinction in finance, and a certificate of membership in the student council".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geteducated.com/dog-earns-online-mba|title=Pug Dog Earns Online MBA in Rochville University Scam {{!}} GetEducated|website=www.geteducated.com|access-date=February 22, 2019|archive-date=February 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203085238/https://www.geteducated.com/dog-earns-online-mba|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Lulu (college diploma)=== In 2010, Mark Howard, a member of the legal team for the claimants (BSkyB) in ''BSkyB Ltd & Anor v HP Enterprise Services UK Ltd & Anor'' [2010]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/TCC/2010/86.html |title=2010 EWHC 86 (TCC) |publisher=British and Irish Legal Information Institute |date=January 26, 2010 |access-date=February 1, 2010 |archive-date=July 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726183348/http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/TCC/2010/86.html |url-status=live }}</ref> obtained a degree for his dog Lulu from Concordia College in the US Virgin Islands. Lulu "graduated" with higher marks than the defendant's key witness, who, the judge found, had lied that he had attended classes for his Concordia MBA.<ref>{{cite news|last=Spence |first=Alex |date=January 27, 2010 |url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article7005260.ece |title=EDS employee lied to win £50m BSkyB contract |location=London |work=The Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719152416/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article7005260.ece |archive-date=July 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=June 2, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Young|first=Tom|date=January 29, 2010|url=http://www.itnews.com.au/News/165888,key-eds-witness-bought-internet-degree.aspx|title=Key EDS witness bought internet degree|work=iTnews|publisher=Haymarket Media|access-date=March 31, 2010|archive-date=February 10, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210181943/http://www.itnews.com.au/News/165888,key-eds-witness-bought-internet-degree.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> In the legal community, the story of the witness' MBA is described as "infamous",<ref>Jones, Simon (June 7, 2010). [http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=101546 "United Kingdom: How The Dog With The Degree Led To A Contract Without A Cap"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403014908/http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=101546 |date=April 3, 2012 }}. (Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP.) Mondaq Ltd.</ref> and a supervisory management cautionary tale.<ref>Buyers, John; Choe, Caroline (March 3, 2010). [http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=94614 "United Kingdom: BSkyB v EDS: Avoiding "Joe Galloway" Syndrome"]. (Stephenson Harwood). Mondaq Ltd. {{registration required}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905045303/http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=94614 |date=September 5, 2011 }}</ref>

=== Maxwell Sniffingwell (theriogenology/animal reproduction degree)=== In 2009, Dr. Ben Mays, a veterinarian in Clinton, Arkansas, obtained a degree in "theriogenology/animal reproduction" from Belford University on behalf of an English bulldog named Maxwell Sniffingwell. The application included his work as a reproductive specialist, noting his "natural ability in theriogenology" and "experimental work with felines" and his understanding of the merits of specialization despite a desire to {{"'}}do them all{{'"}}. He obtained a diploma, transcript and letter of recommendation upon receipt of a payment of $549 to the university, but declined an offer to be made an honors graduate for an additional $75.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2010/10/02/another-belford-u-doctor|title=Another proud Belford U. doctor|last=Brantley|first=Max|work=Arkansas Times|access-date=March 28, 2018|archive-date=March 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180329054232/https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2010/10/02/another-belford-u-doctor|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Molly (high school diploma)=== In February 2012, in a story on local diploma mills by Houston television station KHOU, the reporters got a high school diploma and official transcript from Lincoln Academy for their photographer's basset hound Molly for $300 after filling out a "laughable", "easy take-home test".<ref name="KHOU">{{cite web|author=Rogalski, Jeremy|date=February 8, 2012|url=http://www.khou.com/news/ITeamDiplomasPartOne-138874309.html|title=Dog gets high school diploma as so-called 'degree mills' flourish under Texas law|publisher=KHOU TV|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210225846/http://www.khou.com/news/ITeamDiplomasPartOne-138874309.html|archive-date=February 10, 2012}}</ref> According to a homeschooling advocate, Lincoln Academy and other schools were improperly taking advantage of a Texas law that prohibits discrimination by public colleges and universities against homeschooled students.<ref name="KHOU"/>

===Ollie (associate editorship of medical journals)=== In 2017, Professor Mike Daube, a public health expert in Western Australia, reinvented his dog Ollie as Dr. Olivia Doll. He made up credentials including "past associate of the Shenton Park Institute for Canine Refuge Studies" (where she was a rescue dog) and submitted her application for posts on the editorial boards of some predatory medical journals. Several accepted her application, and the Global Journal of Addiction and Rehabilitation Medicine named her associate editor.<ref>{{cite news|author=O'Leary, Cathy|date=May 21, 2017|url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/the-perth-dog-thats-probably-smarter-than-you-ng-a4de0d201ce420e0302c69532a399419|title=The Perth dog that's probably smarter than you|publisher=Seven West Media|newspaper=PerthNow|access-date=November 21, 2017|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043032/https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/the-perth-dog-thats-probably-smarter-than-you-ng-a4de0d201ce420e0302c69532a399419|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Pete (MBA)=== The American University of London offered Pete, a four-year-old male short-haired Lurcher<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.battersea.org.uk/about_us/whats_new/pete_the_lurcher.html |title=Pete the Lurcher becomes the first Battersea dog to earn a Master's degree |publisher=Battersea Dogs & Cats Home |date=October 24, 2013 |access-date=October 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027204524/http://www.battersea.org.uk/about_us/whats_new/pete_the_lurcher.html |archive-date=October 27, 2013 }}</ref> in Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, London, an MBA for £4,500 without requiring any course work. The BBC current affairs programme ''Newsnight'' reported in 2013 that the dog, named "Peter Smith" on the faked CV for a management consultant, was offered an MBA by the university's Accreditation of Previous Experiential Learning board based on his "made-up work experience and a fictitious undergraduate degree" just four days after applying for the course.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24618786 |first1=Jim |last1=Reed |first2=Mike |last2=Deri Smith |title=American University of London sells study-free MBA |date=October 23, 2013 |work=BBC Newsnight |publisher=BBC |access-date=October 24, 2013 |archive-date=October 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024021811/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24618786 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Phoebe (professional certifications)=== Between 2024 and 2026, a nine-year-old pug from Alberta, Canada, named Phoebe obtained more than 250 online professional and workplace certifications as part of a demonstration conducted by the Calgary-based firm Cognisense.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mercer |first=Shane |title=Meet Phoebe, the most certified pug in the world |url=https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/safety-and-ppe/meet-phoebe-the-most-certified-pug-in-the-world/501492 |website=Canadian Occupational Safety |date=August 15, 2024 |access-date=February 18, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Newton |first=Derek |title=Meet Your Captain, Phoebe |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2026/02/07/meet-your-captain-phoebe/ |website=Forbes |date=February 7, 2026 |access-date=February 18, 2026}}</ref> Her certifications included workplace safety credentials, transportation of dangerous goods, defensive driving, boating, food handling, and Alberta’s ProServe Liquor Staff Training certificate.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ali |first=Rukhsar |title=Phoebe the pug is probably more qualified than you (on paper) |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-pug-bartender-9.6951462 |website=CBC News |date=October 23, 2025 |access-date=February 18, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Dekuyper |first=Devon |title=Proficient pug receives ProServe certification, serves drinks at local pub |url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/proficient-pug-receives-proserve-certification-210403949.html |website=Yahoo News Canada |date=October 22, 2025 |access-date=February 18, 2026}}</ref> Media reports stated that several of the online courses required only basic registration and lacked identity verification or participation monitoring.<ref>{{cite web |last=King |first=Jasmine |title=Alberta online verification gap test |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/11449470/alberta-online-verification-gap-test/ |website=Global News |date=September 24, 2025 |access-date=February 18, 2026}}</ref>

===Sonny (medical degree)=== The May 30, 2007 episode of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation comedy show ''The Chaser's War on Everything'' documented host Chas Licciardello applying online and obtaining a medical degree for his dog Sonny from the diploma mill Ashwood University. Sonny's "work experience" included "significant proctology experience sniffing other dogs' bums".<ref>{{cite news|author=Brazao, Dale|date=August 31, 2008|url=https://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/488313|title=Big Promises, Broken Dreams|newspaper=Toronto Star|access-date=May 29, 2010|archive-date=December 30, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230051501/http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/Article/488313|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nz3Y_ArpKY&feature=player_detailpage#t=206s|title=The Chasers War|series=The Chaser's War on Everything|series-no=2|number=10|date=May 30, 2007|access-date=June 13, 2010|time=3:26|archive-date=September 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905164542/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nz3Y_ArpKY&feature=player_detailpage#t=206s|url-status=live}}</ref> Ashwood University has since been listed as a Non Accredited Degree Supplier in the states of Michigan, Oregon, and Texas.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.geteducated.com/diploma-mill-police/degree-mills-list/ashwood-university-accreditation|title = Ashwood University Accreditation Scam {{!}} Diploma Mill Police {{!}} GetEducated.com|website = www.geteducated.com|access-date = March 20, 2016|archive-date = March 31, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160331065104/http://www.geteducated.com/diploma-mill-police/degree-mills-list/ashwood-university-accreditation|url-status = live}}</ref>

===Wally (associate's degrees)=== In 2004, the Albany, New York television station WRGB ran a report in which reporter Peter Brancato applied to and received an associate degree from Almeda University on behalf of his dog, Wally.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306150129/http://www2.wrgb.com/iteam/investigation/investigation.asp?selection=article_23366|archive-date=March 6, 2012|url=http://www2.wrgb.com/iteam/investigation/investigation.asp?selection=article_23366 |title=Degrees for Sale (transcript)|work=I-Team |publisher=WRGB |date=February 19, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Schultheis |first=Emily |date=January 30, 2010 |url=http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20100130_Degrees_of_doubt__PUC_hire_has_unaccredited_sheepskins.html |title=Degrees of doubt: PUC hire has unaccredited sheepskins |newspaper=Philadelphia Daily News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100202191404/http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20100130_Degrees_of_doubt__PUC_hire_has_unaccredited_sheepskins.html |archive-date=February 2, 2010 |access-date=June 2, 2013 }} [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DN&s_site=philly&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=12D901C722080D28&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Alt URL]{{subscription required|date=June 2013}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402181900/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DN&s_site=philly&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=12D901C722080D28&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |date=April 2, 2015 }}</ref> On the application, Brancato listed, "Plays with the kids every day ... teaches them to interact better with each other ... Teaches them responsibilities like feeding the dog." Almeda University granted Wally a "life experience" associate degree in "Childhood Development". After the report aired, Almeda University protested that Brancato perjured himself by creating a false identity using a fabricated name and date of birth. In a public statement, an Almeda University representative wrote, "He completed an application that included a background of the following: Eight-years tutoring pre-K children, curriculum design and development, teaching coping skills, and volunteer coaching".<ref>{{cite press release|publisher=Almeda University |title=Perjury to Prove a Point? |url=http://almedauniversity.org/press-release.html |date=February 8, 2006 |access-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061108181011/http://almedauniversity.org/press-release.html |archive-date=November 8, 2006 }}</ref> In March 2008, Wally was featured in a Lake Geneva, Wisconsin mayoral campaign political cartoon, with a dialogue bubble reading, "I graduated with Bill Chesen", referring to candidate Chesen's Almeda University bachelor's degree.<ref>{{cite news|author=Bunge, Kayla|date=September 19, 2008|url=http://gazettextra.com/news/2008/sep/19/no-charges-lake-geneva-election-flap/|title=No charges in Lake Geneva election flap|publisher=GazetteXtra|newspaper=Janesville Gazette|access-date=October 17, 2010|archive-date=July 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711081230/http://gazettextra.com/news/2008/sep/19/no-charges-lake-geneva-election-flap/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Other==

===Algernon (goldfish)=== In 2021, environmentalist George Monbiot registered his childhood goldfish as a registered waste disposer in the UK.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Monbiot |first1=George |title=Britain through the looking glass: my dead goldfish is now a registered waste disposer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/24/dead-goldfish-licensed-waste-disposer-system-falling-apart |website=The Guardian |access-date=24 December 2021 |date=24 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Registration CBDU414534 – Algernon Goldfish |url=https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/waste-carriers-brokers/registration/CBDU414534?__pageState=result-waste-carriers-brokers |publisher=Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |access-date=24 December 2021}}</ref>

==See also== * F.D.C. Willard, a cat in whose name scientific papers were published * Myrtle the Parachick, a chicken and member of the British 1st Airborne Division during World War II * List of animals in political office * List of scholarly publishing stings * List of unaccredited institutions of higher education * Non-human electoral candidates * Who's Who scam * "Basic Crisis Room Decorum", an episode of the sitcom ''Community'' involving a dog purported to have been awarded a college degree

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Animals With Fraudulent Diplomas}} Category:Education scandals Fraudulent diplomas Animals With Diplomas