As we continue to work remotely, our furry friends continue to keep us entertained. They put smiles on our faces and even help reduce stress levels. Keep reading to learn more about the pets behind the Zoom cameras and work desks!
Hex and Max
Hex is a 1 year old and Max is 8 months old. They love to keep us on our toes and are full of energy. It’s always fun to watch them interact and explore new things. They like to go on walks downtown and meet all kinds of new people. We’re hoping to get them in the pool soon, as my wife and I are both avid swimmers and would love to be able to play in the pool with them too.
Jason Barnhizer, Security Analyst
Niko
He is our 5-year-old white tabby. He will sit by my feet and keep me company while I work. He sometimes meows at inopportune times during Zoom calls or steps on my keyboard while I’m typing. The second photo is of him cuddled up on top of my Pondurance backpack.
Lolin Grant, Senior Security Consultant
Zelda
This is our new puppy, Zelda! She’s almost 13 weeks old and attends all my meetings whether she sleeps through them or is constantly squeaking her favorite toys.
Having her as a puppy co-worker has been one of the greatest things. She has made working from home such a treat, no pun intended. 10/10 would recommend getting a furry friend as a co-worker.
Jacob Pelletier, Software Developer
Lily
This is Lily. She’s a 13-year-old French bulldog that my wife and I rescued seven years ago. She has an uncanny way of knowing when I’m having a bad day. She’ll walk into the office and look up at me, and really, how can I be stressed or upset when those eyes are looking at me?
She also really dislikes having her picture taken, so although I have a ton of pictures of her, not many are good!!
Ray Chappell, Threat Hunter
Reed
Reed may look like a pet, but he used to be a pup with a purpose. Until August 4, he was a guide dog in training. You see, in addition to supporting the team here at Pondurance, I also spend my days (and nights) raising puppies to give the gift of independence to the blind and visually impaired.
Reed is my sweet No. 16, and he stole my heart. I don’t know if it was the timing of having him through the pandemic, but he is the first (seriously, the first) of 16 guide dog candidates I’ve raised that I’ve actually wanted to keep. He’s also the first pup that I’ve taught to clean up his toys and put them back in his toy box instead of just taking them out and leaving them all over the floor for me to step on! He’s a rockstar of a pup.
It’s hard to socialize a pup to be a guide dog during a pandemic, but I tried my best. We did a lot of walking, especially in high-traffic areas and around unusual objects, sounds and surfaces. We also did a lot of obedience work both indoors and out. Finally, learning to settle while I work is a key guide dog skill, so Pondurance has helped a lot to develop his skills!
We say that every dog picks his path. I’ve always wanted my pups to pick the path of guiding without question. I have to admit, this time I am pretty excited to welcome him home.
Amy Thaler, Senior Advisor, HR
Kermit
With the sad passing of our last pup of 16 years (Tucker MacDougal), my wife and I thought we would not get another dog anytime soon. Mind you, the passing of Tucker marked the first time in my whole life that I had been without a dog as part of the family. It was a strange feeling. His passing, coupled with our 18 year old soon leaving home for college created a tremendous void that made for a lonely house. This was amplified by working at home and not having a dog sleeping at my feet! So we decided to take the plunge to fill our hearts.
Welcome Kermit McDermott.
Kermit is a full-bred male Boykin spaniel, a breed that is almost entirely specific to the state of South Carolina. They will grow to between 25 and 30 pounds when full grown, and they were specifically bred to be, despite their size, fantastic bird hunting dogs! The Boykin spaniel is also rated as one of the top five boat dogs, as they are avid swimmers that seem to never get tired of the water. We expect to always have him with us when we’re boating on the lake!
A little secret about my wife and me: We always give our dogs first and last names (not really sure why), and we always talk for our dogs in what we feel their voices would be based on their personalities. Tucker MacDougal was an angry Scottsman and completely lived up to his moniker in every way. I found myself often teasing my wife or kids in Tucker’s voice. Sort of gave me a free pass to say what I wanted! Kermit is definitely going to have a Kermit the Frog voice, which means I have really started practicing that one! 😉
We just adore our animals as they bring so much joy. All the dogs I’ve had were my constant companions, and their sense of loyalty was unquestionably off the charts. Seriously. Such loyal and forgiving friends. Let me put it this way, if we were to lock my wife and Kermit outside for about an hour, which one do you think would be happy to see me again? 🙂
Ron Pelletier, Chief Customer Officer and Founder
Are you and your furry friend interested in joining the Pondurance team? View our current openings!
