Here's How Our Knowsters Celebrated International Pet Day

If you know KnowBe4, you know that we love our pets! In fact, we love our local furry friends so much that we recently donated over $3,000 combined to two local organizations; Pinellas County Animal Services and Humane Society of Pinellas County.

Elaina, Artisan of Culture and Geekery on our Fun & Shenanigans team, says, “At KnowBe4, we love philanthropy; it is a huge part of our company culture. We are proud to support Pinellas County Animal Services and the Humane Society of Pinellas County. Without them, many of our local animals wouldn't be alive today. Both of these amazing organizations promote the safety and well-being of all animals."

In addition to this philanthropic initiative, earlier this week, KnowBe4 celebrated International Pet Day by asking Knowsters to share photos of them and their pets on their social media. One lucky winner was granted a $25 gift card for participating! In today's blog, we hear from our Knowsters around the globe about what their special pets mean to them.

Rachel, Customer Success Manager, & her birds, Momo and Koko

I always knew that pets positively impacted their owners' lives, but I never truly understood this until I got Momo and Koko. Everyone has felt some type of stress throughout the pandemic. I have especially felt this living in Singapore, not being able to see my family for more than two years. This is why Momo and Koko are the greatest and cutest companions! We spend nearly all our time together since I work from home. Whenever I feel stressed, I look at their cute, innocent faces and immediately start to smile. They are super clingy and follow me around the house all day long. We have a very strong bond.

Many people ask me, "why birds?" Well, first of all, they are smart and intelligent! They do tricks and can understand instructions. They have also brought me back to nature. Every other weekend, we go to the park so they can fly free. Small parrots can live up to 25 years, and I look forward to spending the next 24 years with them! 

Britt, Lead Global Employee Onboarding Specialist, & her dog, Max

Over the last three years that I've had Max, my quality of life has drastically improved. There's something so sweet about coming home to a pet! Their love is truly unconditional. He is always so in tune with my feelings and knows when I need some extra cuddles.

Lauren, QA Content Review Specialist, & her cat, Gatsby

I've been extremely fortunate to share a space with my kitties during the past couple of years. I love being able to take a few minutes away from my desk and find my kitties to release any stress. I adopted our second cat, thinking our first cat would go through separation anxiety with me going back into the office, but truly, it's me who has separation anxiety! They're one of the best parts of my life! 

Tyler, Channel Pricing Specialist, & his dog, Stella

Having my dog, Stella, has had a tremendous impact on my life, both physically and mentally. I try to take Stella on a two-mile walk each day, and I find that to be extremely helpful when dealing with stress. It allows me to decompress. She also never fails to put a smile on my face with her bulldog goofiness! 

Johnny, Tech Support Coordinator, & his cat, Churchill

Whether it's getting me out of the house to socialize at the park, or just sitting next to me and begging for snuggles when I've been at my desk for a long time, my pets are experts at bringing me out of my own headspace. It's insanely therapeutic to have the love and energy you give returned to you tenfold by your fur baby. 10/10 highly recommend having a furry friend!

Lael, Director of Facility Services and Sustainability, & her duck, Pozbo

My family's ducks are so much fun! We have a mom (Wildchild), a dad (Jaqueline), and now their seven babies (one of whom is Pozbo, in the picture). It is so relaxing to just chill in their space; we call it watching "duck t.v.!" They each have quite distinct personalities; Wildchild greets me every morning for breakfast, Jaqueline stands guard over his "charges" whenever I leave them alone, Pozbo is the runt, and his big sister, Thimble, keeps a close watch on him. Hanging out with the ducks drains away any stress. Our children are also involved in their care. Having ducks has had a positive impact on all of our lives!

Shaun, Customer Success Manager, & his dog, Cola

My dog, Cola, has made such a positive impact on my life. I adopted him the year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and since then, having Cola around has been very helpful, especially during the stress of that year. He really helped me during our time in isolation, even though he's only a conversationalist when it's time for dinner or a walk!