February 14, 2019
If there's one thing our customers, instagram followers, blog-readers, and general Hiptipico supporters know, it's how much we love people- it's why we do what we do! But what you may not know is that aside from a passion for bettering human lives, we LOVE animals. We've taken the time to ask you if you're cat or dog people, so we figured it was about time to sit down and explain how as an office, we are most definitely both.
On any given day we have between one and four animals wandering in and out of the Hiptipico workspace, brightening our day and contributing to the positive energy we are always trying to capture and share with you all. From greeting us every day, to occasionally scaring the gardener and stealing lunches that don't belong to them, they're a big part of our every day life. While some people are opposed to the office dog concept, we tend to side with the "best idea ever" folks, and of course keep resident cat, Tuna, around for all of you out there not as into the dog business.
The idea of office dogs, or "bring your dog to work" environments is not new or exclusive to small businesses, with companies like Google, Amazon, and Free People encouraging their employees to bring their pets to work and boost morale. We will say however, with a human office staff of seven and a furry staff of four, we've got a higher ratio than most! Now, four sets of legs may seem like a lot, but is nothing compared to the puppy fiasco of 2018 that we'll talk about later.
First up on our regular staff is King Ixi, who some might say is alpha by descent. He's a cool with an even cooler story- rescued in Guatemala by our founder Alyssa in 2015, he is always around to keep an eye on things and will definitely let you know he's the boss. His full name, Ixil, comes from the small traditional Maya communities in the Cuchumatantes region of Guatemala, known for their resilience after the genocide. By far our most human-like companion, Ixi has been known to sit in on meetings and make his opinion known. His favorite food is bread, and don't even think about coming to the office without some to share.
Next up is Tuna, a sweet, elusive, and ever so cat-like kitten running around. At just over a year old, Tuna has already picked up traits that it takes cats full lifetimes to develop. She always wants to know what we're up to, but as quickly as she enters the office, she's gone again (probably off chasing a lizard). If it weren't for the faint sound of her collar jingling in the distance, some days we might not be sure she was there at all. But don't worry, every night she ends up tucked in with her human companions, right where she belongs.
Then there's Jamaica, a dog who is very much all bark and not so much bite. She helps us keep up our fierce reputation around here, and in exchange we don't tell anyone that she's actually way more likely to be scared of them. Jamaica belongs to Martin, the head barista at Cafe Loco but you'll never see her at the coffee shop, she's far happier in her own space and watching people come and go from the office. We're always willing to give her some love on your behalf!
Last up is "Big Momma" Marley, the eternally excited matriarch of the previously mentioned puppy fiasco. Marley is the oldest member of the Hiptipico pack, and definitely the hungriest. No stranger to seeing a "food baby" on her, you can imagine our surprise when 4 real puppies came out! Her adorable pack have since found homes, but we will always reminisce on the days of lunch breaks that consisted of puppy cuddles. Marley can now be found letting herself in and out of the office [she can physically open any door, even a locked one], and excitedly saying hi to everyone that comes her way.
In typical Hiptipico fashion, the story doesn't stop there. All four of Marley's puppies have homes across Guatemala, one of them right here in Panajachel. Lucky for us, he still stops into the office some days too. Check out our last blog on Doña Virginia if you want to learn more about Oso's home life or how you can be his houseguest!
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