When you call into see us at Head Office in Christchurch you may well be greeted by our ‘Morale Manager’ Paddington – he is particularly keen on visitors who are wearing high-vis! We all love animals and most of us have multiple pets.
When did you start with BDL?
March 2018
What did you do before that?
Well I pretty much was just learning the ropes from my Mum, Tammy. I came to my Family on a plane in a crate with a guy from another litter who sat on me most of the way, which I was not too happy about. Mum said I was about 5 kgs when they got me. I was the last one left from my litter, but Mum says it definitely wasn’t because I was the runt. I did love a bit of digging going by my puppy photos.
What does your job entail?
I have to keep the spirits up, these photocopier things seem to cause a lot of busy-ness for the humans. There is a lot of talk about ‘how manic it is’.
What is a typical day like?
I always start the day with a walk up the hill with my Dad and have a sniff of my friends Winnie, Ripple, Wilson or Elvis. Once I get home, I tend to lay low as things can get a bit chaotic with getting my human sisters out of the house. I’m not quite sure why they can’t get out of bed either. It’s pretty full-on when I first get into the office as I have to run around and check in on everyone upstairs and check any new smells in their rubbish bins etc. A lot of my work mates need to rub my tummy, so I will let them – I know how much they like it. And its always useful to scout around ahead of time and see if anyone has any scones that might make an appearance at morning tea. During the day I have to greet guests, couriers & my workmates who are always coming & going. I’m up and down like a yoyo some days. Some days I don’t even get a chance of getting forty winks in until late morning.
Favourite memory from work?
Well pretty much anything that involves me getting a lot of attention is really good.
What’s a common question you get from customers?
What kind of dog am I? I’m not too sure why, but humans seem very interested in my genetics. Both my Mum and Dad were crossbred, so I am Labrador, Golden Retriever and Standard Poodle. I am definitely not going to fit into anyone’s handbag.
What do you like most about Christchurch?
My family lives in the Port Hills so I get a lot of good running in on the tracks around where I live & they also take me down to Southshore a lot where I can swim and run amongst the sand & wetlands. I do love to swim in the sea and chase sticks, of course, but there is no chance of me jumping into a swimming pool – that is a very dangerous business. As much as I love splashing about in water, I am not at all keen when my family get in one of those things.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I’m pretty much up for most things – I love boats, small & large & I am an extra good boy on the paddle board with my sisters. I do draw the line at jumping up into the back of my Mum’s SUV though – again that is very dangerous & I am not doing it – no matter how much they try and trick me up there with treats. Mum says that she is getting sprained wrists from having to hoist me up into that thing, although I will say (once I get in) I have better visibility out of this car than her last one at least.
What do you like most about working at BDL?
Well I’ve never worked anywhere else, but it seems like a pretty nice place to me & I get to be with my Mum & all my BDL friends everyday – although she does take me home in the afternoons some days. She says that dogs do need to be by themselves sometimes. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that, but as my job can be very tiring it can be nice to get my paws in the air and get a good few hours of quiet time in.