Also, it should have read

    from menagerie.cat import models as cat_models
    from menagerie.dog import models as dog_models
    from menagerie.mouse import models as mouse_models

Because otherwise it doesn't match the code in the first example for #3, and also because if your packages are ordered that way, then why not just

    from menagerie.models import cat, dog, mouse

and forget about changing the local module name.

By whom, and why not? I like it. It's explicit. Self-documenting.