By
Manashi
September 26, 2019
How would you feel having a furry friend run around your workspace while trying to meet up with a deadline?
Distracted?
3 years ago, the answer to the above question probably would have been yes for most of us at Almabase. Now, however, none of us feel the same way. On the contrary, at Almabase, we feel that the presence of pets at workplace doesn’t distract you, rather acts as a stress buster and contributes to increased productivity.
Wait a minute! I'm sure you're probably thinking, "what's this sudden interest in pets?
Well, we've been bitten by the" Pepper" bug, and this is an exposé on how it has changed our lives and work culture.
Before we go on, let's introduce you to Pepper; the only non-human and hence, the coolest team member at Almabase.
A dark furry, flat-pawed canine with a solemn look on her face as she wags her tail expectantly.
That’s exactly how each of our mornings start.
And this is pretty much how we reciprocate the look on her face.
Rescued by a colleague, Pepper has come a long way from a stray to an indispensable team member. Perhaps, a look at this furry beauty was enough to captivate Amar, our former colleague, when he picked her up.
Amar brought her to the office to provide her food and shelter for a day or two & had planned to eventually send her to the nearest dog shelter.
Fortunately, Amar's random act created a paradigm shift in all team members.
Dog lovers or not. Heck! It's the reason why you're reading a whole article dedicated to this canine.
First, thanks to Pepper, we discovered Almabase had three types of team members:
1. The dog lovers who couldn't get their hands off her
2. The nonchalant ones with no dislike or special preferences for dogs
3. The most difficult of the three: those who dislike or are scared of dogs
As you can see, this was quite a challenge for Pepper.
This was her first mission - changing the team and creating an unbreakable attraction with all of us: what an excellent strategist!
So, how did Pepper overcome this challenge?
Well, her strategy was just plain and simple.
WAGGING TAIL. Yeah, we know, she’s a genius.
Gradually, the walls around the latter two types of team members began to crumble. Perhaps, it was her personality that hooked them or her unconditional love for everyone. Today, Pepper has successfully broken down the former three groups and needless to say, everyone adores her and sees her as a valued part of the Alma-family.
Did you know she's a mix between a German Sheppard, Dasher and an Indian local breed?
No doubt, her beautiful glossy black and brown coat is a testament to her pedigree. What's more? She loves being pampered and will do anything to get your attention.
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Don't forget to give her a belly rub when she finally captures your attention. Remember, you owe her one.
Do you know who her favorite person is?
Well, it's Janak, whose treats and cuisines have not only captured our hearts, but also Pepper's. In fact, when Janak returned from his one-month-long vacation, the way Pepper pounced on him was something we all felt was worth filming (and that's pretty much all that we did that day).
Pepper is a brave fighter only when we're close by. It'll surprise you to see this sweet furry friend bark her heart out at other animals and humans when we're beside her. However, she immediately withdraws and hides behind us when left alone. This, right here, is a show of complete trust and faith. Furthermore, she's the office watchdog and barks at people who so much as even glance towards our office.
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Did we mention what a celebrity she is? She's made lots of friends and admirers within a short time. Hey we missed to share one more thing: she helped us catch a big cobra - how awesome is that?
When we think of Pepper, we see her as more than an office pet; she's a stress-buster. Teammates occasionally take a few minutes off to play with her in a bid to ease stress!
Pepper, to us, stands as proof of how a random idea can kick-start a ripple effect in our lives.
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