D.J. Wonnum’s Dog Simba on Purple Pups

While Diego lives back home in Georgia with Wonnum’s parents, Simba keeps the defensive end company in his Eagan apartment.

Wonnum first decided to acquire a puppy due to increased isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and although they duo encountered the expected learning curves early on, adding Simba to his life has made Wonnum’s days exponentially better.

“He was biting everything. I’ve got chewed-up gloves, shoes. Pretty much chewed-up everything. He liked to nip a lot, too, so I had to get him away from that,” Wonnum said, shaking his head. “But his favorite place is going under the bed. Under the bed is like his treasure spot. He’ll take socks, all kinds of stuff, and just put them under the bed, and I find it all like a week or two later. I’m like, ‘C’mon, man.’

“But he’s definitely outgoing. He’s, like, the life of the party,” he continued of Simba. “He’s full of energy, and he gets along with pretty much everybody, every dog. It’s just a joy to be around him.”

Wonnum named the tan-colored pup with a white marking on his chest after The Lion King, one of his favorite Disney movies. And like the lion cub in the 1994 animated flick, Wonnum’s Simba can be a bit of a boundary tester from time to time.