PUPDATE! MEET THE TEAM: Deanna Smith, Daycare Attendant
To put it simply, Deanna Smith is a good soul. She’s incredibly kind, selfless and positive which makes her a wonderful PUPS Pet Club team member, but more than that, an all around great person.
Deanna joined the team at PUPS on June 19, 2021. She remembers the exact date because she has found changing jobs can bring a significant change to other aspects of life. That was definitely the case here. Before PUPS, Deanna was working a retail job that was “no longer bringing joy” into her life. Working a retail job during the height of the pandemic meant that Deanna was interacting with customers that were scared, confused and sometimes extremely impatient. She felt that a career change would be best for her, her family and ultimately, her mental health.
That’s when Deanna stumbled upon PUPS Pet Club! She is a natural caretaker as a mother and petowner, so transitioning into the Daycare Attendant role was a breeze. Deanna says that she “constantly wants to be surrounded by good energy, especially in the workplace” and notes that it is easy to find that when you are surrounded by dogs every day.
A real lightbulb moment happened for Deanna ager a few months at PUPS. One winter day, she noticed that one dog was keeping to himself and shivering a little bit while in the daycare room. SHe wasn’t sure if the shivering was a result of anxiety of being cold, so she decided to snuggle him anyways. She picked up the pup, gave him a hug and put him in her PUPS sweatshirt as if he were a kangaroo in mom’s pouch. Deanna didn’t realize that this petowner was watching on the PUPS cams and was overcome with joy. The pet parents couldn’t thank Deanna enough for being so observant and overwhelmingly caring towards their fur-baby. This moment further proves that Deanna has a warm heart, kind attitude and giving spirit.
Deanna is grateful to work for a company that focuses on providing exceptional animal care as well as creating a positive workplace for all employees. She is thankful that upper management – especially PUPS Ceo, Dan – “genuinely cares” about the team and regularly let’s them know that they’re appreciated by giving verbal encouragement, hosting company get togethers, offering a generous benefits package and taking moments to individually recognize members of the team.