The Pets of Aha! — Meet 19 More of Our Team's Furry Coworkers

We have the best team in the world. I know everyone thinks their team is the best — but I genuinely believe it is true. Leading the People Success and operations teams at Aha!, I am fortunate to get to know each member of our distributed company. Although we are located across eight countries and nearly 90 cities, we are the most close-knit group I have ever had the pleasure to work with. This is why I love taking any opportunity I can to celebrate what makes us unique.

And there is another group of Aha! team members worthy of celebrating — our pets.

We have trotted out some of our cute coworkers in the past. You might remember Winston (a basset hound in Johannesburg, South Africa) and Henry (a black-and-white rescue cat in Park City, Utah, USA). But our team has grown significantly since then. We are now 110 strong and still actively hiring. And while we love our "Why I Joined Aha!" blog posts, it has been a while since we introduced our animal coworkers.

Some people may think of office pets as distractions. After all, a barking dog or mischievous kitten is the last thing you need when you are working against a deadline or presenting in a virtual meeting. It is especially challenging if you are one of the many people working from home with a full household — partners, kids, and pets all under one roof can make for a boisterous work environment.

But pets can make us better teammates too. They force regular exercise breaks, remind us to be playful, and minimize loneliness. Besides improving focus and productivity, animals also boost our well-being. Studies have shown that spending just 10 minutes petting a cat or dog significantly reduces cortisol, a stress hormone.

Pets brighten our days and enrich our lives — they bring us joy and we love sharing that joy with each other.

Sustainable happiness comes from making a meaningful impact and being appreciated for what you do. Although our pets are not interacting with customers or writing code, they do play an important role. So I am excited to introduce a few more of the lovable pets on our team:

Roxy

"This mixed Persian-Ragdoll kitten is new to our home, so she is constantly exploring her surroundings. It is fun to watch her learn new things and she reminds me to stay curious, just like she is. I always wondered what my pets did when I worked in an office nine hours a day — now I know!" — Ashley Thompson, People Success & Operations

Ozzy

"Cuddling Ozzy any time I want during my work day is the best. He is a miniature Australian shepherd who loves routine, so he helps me structure my day. I crank up my productivity during his nap times, then I take breaks to play or go on a walk with him. Having Ozzy as a coworker is truly a joy." — Nataliya Palmen, Finance

Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Crispy, Jeff, The Archbishop, Peggy, Princess Leia, and Balrick

"I never thought I would own this many poultry! Taking a quick stroll in my garden is a great mental break. The chickens and ducks greet me and we chat while I walk around. The best part of working remotely with these birds is having fresh eggs for lunch whenever I want." — Tom Bailey, Customer Success

Bodhi

"Bodhi is a super mutt rescue pup (part border collie, chow chow, Australian shepherd, Siberian husky, and golden retriever). He gets me outside for breaks morning, noon, and night — otherwise I face his reproachful gaze! Walks with Bodhi have replaced my former commute, and his goofy expressions and enthusiasm for life bring a lot of levity to my days." — Rose Thompson, Marketing