Adopting shelter pets: Employees make a difference at work and home
To mark National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day on April 30, we asked Boehringer Ingelheim employees about their experiences adopting shelter pets.
The special bond that people and animals share motivates people around the country who work for Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc.
The connection inspires many of them outside work, too. Just ask some employees who have adopted dogs and cats from animal shelters.
Anne Morrow, a supplier auditor who helps ensure that Boehringer Ingelheim pet products meet quality standards, adopted two cats from shelters – Hope and Pumpkin.
“I’m a strong believer in giving a shelter pet a home,” said Morrow, who is based in St. Joseph, Mo. “I adopted Hope in 2010 and Pumpkin in 2013, and couldn’t imagine life without them.”
Mary Pettit did not plan to adopt but has always loved animals.
“Eventually, we said the famous last words of every pet-less household: ‘Let's just go to adoption day and look,’” said Pettit, senior associate director for U.S. Pet Vaccines & Therapeutics at the company’s headquarters in Duluth, Ga.
“We came home with Pilot, a two-year-old Labrador-Border Collie mix who loves long walks just as much as he loves long naps,” she said. “He turns 10 this year, and we couldn't imagine our lives without his love.”
Amy Badura, an avian-supply planner in Gainesville, Ga. saw her dog, Granola, on a website. She said she felt “love at first sight.”
Katie Vernon, a scientist at our plant in Saint Joseph, Mo., said she has loved animals since she was little and always wanted to take in stray cats and dogs. She adopted Luna, her dog, four years ago.
“I adopted a shelter pet because I believe too many shelter animals are put down every day because of overpopulation,” Vernon said.
Some Boehringer Ingelheim employees teach their children about shelters and pass down their love of animals.
Heather Hampl, a financial analyst in Duluth, Ga., took her daughter, Michaela, to a shelter to adopt a cat when Michaela was eight. Since that first trip four years ago, Michaela has fostered 119 kittens and four puppies. She has been recognized for her work by the Barrow County Board of Commissioners in northeast Georgia.
Marie Gildersleeve, a senior sales representative in Chicago, adopted a pit bull named Rosie. Her children have fallen in love with Rosie’s sweet personality.
“My daughters preach to anyone who will listen how wonderful pit bulls are,” she said.
While some employees adopted a pet on a whim, others chose to adopt after suffering the loss of another pet.
Coleen Tomlinson, a senior sales representative in Gainesville, Fla., lost her dog, Liffey, in October 2018. After attending a pet-rescue event, Coleen saw BeBe, a Jack Russell Terrier whose owner had recently died, and immediately took to her.
“I just feel like everything was meant to be with her...she lost her person and I lost my dog, and we found each other,” Tomlinson said.
Haley Chappelle is a senior specialist in commercial operations quality in Duluth, Ga. Losing her dog in September 2018 left her feeling like something was missing. She was dropping off food for donation at a shelter when she saw an older dog. Within a few months, she adopted the dog, and “life couldn’t be sweeter.”
No matter the reason for adopting their pets, Boehringer Ingelheim employees have made their commitment to animals clear.
“I choose to adopt shelter dogs, because I want to make a difference, and give these dogs a better life,” said Dr. Laura Pritzker, a senior professional services veterinarian based in Roseville, Minnesota
Now with their adopted pets, they can make a difference and give animals a better life on the job and at home.