It probably comes as no surprise, but ZippyPaws loves dogs. All of them. They are our friends, family, coworkers, and so much more. They are the reason we do what we do. And just like you, we jump at the chance to talk about and show photos of our dogs. It’s what dog people do, right?
We’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of our customers and their pets, so it’s only natural that we would want to have you meet some of our peeps and their pups too. That’s why we decided to use our blog to introduce you to some members of our ZippyPaws family, two-legged and four-legged alike.
Kenn, Ripper and Yuki
In the third installment of our ongoing “Meet the Wonderful People and Pups of ZippyPaws” blog series, we’re pleased to introduce you to our most excellent Web and E-Commerce Manager, Kenn Sampson (aka Lord of the Interwebs). Kenn has been with ZippyPaws team for going on 5 years now and keeps very busy overseeing and managing the ZippyPaws website on the daily.
In addition to ruling over the ZippyPaws website, Kenn enjoys golfing and playing video games in his free time. He’s also the proud parent of two wonderful pups named Yuki and Ripper who are regulars fixtures around the ZippyPaws office.
Kenn recently sat down to answer a few questions for the blog. Read on to learn more about Kenn and his boys, Yuki and Ripper!
Can you tell us a little about your two pups?
Yuki is a twelve-year-old male Maltese who I have had since he was a puppy. Ripper is an eleven-year-old male Shih Tzu who I adopted in 2015.
How did you come up with their names?
Yuki can be as white and fluffy as snow – and “Yuki” is the Japanese word for snow.
Ripper loves to shred toilet paper. Most paper, actually.
Dog owners tend to have lots of nicknames for their pets. Let’s hear some of yours.
Yuke, Jerk, Beavis, Butt-Head, Rips, etc.
How did you get your doggos? What made you choose them?
Yuki came from a litter of puppies. I met and befriended the owner of the litter. When they had puppies, I offered to take Yuki and have stayed in touch with her ever since.
Ripper came from an adoption event. He was in a pen by himself and looked sad. The worker there came and picked him up so I could meet him. I noticed he was partly blind and was growling a lot. The worker said there were lots of other dogs available. I looked at him, then looked at her and was like, “I’m taking him!!” Best. Choice. Ever.
You have two dogs now – did you have pets growing up?
Yes, I grew up with one dog and three cats.
What’s something you do as a dog owner that is slightly embarrassing, but you continue to do anyway?
Putting my dogs in a stroller. And to be honest, I’m not even embarrassed.
What has being a dog dad taught you?
I’ve definitely learned how to be more patient.
What’s something Yuki and Ripper do that you wish they didn’t?
Grow old.
What does a typical day with your dogs look like?
Walkies. Treats. Repeat.
What are your favorite activities to do with your dogs?
Going for walkies – and eating, of course!
What’s the last thing either of your dogs have done that made you laugh out loud?
Yuki was sleeping on my bed and accidentally rolled off. He immediately ran and hid because he was so scared.
If you could swap roles with your dogs for a day, would you?
Who wouldn’t? Sleeping, eating and going on walks? That’s the life!
Do you sing to your dogs? Can we get a sampling of lyrics?
All the time! “Yu..ki’s ready to go! Rip..pers ready to go! We’re gonna go walkie, WALKIE! Are you going with me?? Cuz I’m Going with you!! We’re gonna goo walllkk!”
Studies suggest that dogs enjoy reggae and soft rock music. What style of music do your dogs like?
They enjoy the sounds of pleasant/lullaby music mostly.
Do they enjoy watching TV? What do they watch?
Yes. DOGTV or whatever I am watching – because they just want to be next to me.
What gets your dogs barking?
Walkies, melms (our word for treats) and toys.
If your dogs had their own personal mottos, what might they be?
Ripper’s motto would be “Whatever, I do what I want!” – and Yuki’s would be “Love Me!”
If Yuki and Ripper had careers, what would each be?
Ripper would certainly be a Food Critic. Yuki would probably be an Olympian.
How many ZippyPaws toys do the boys have? Any favorites?
At last count, they had over 40 ZippyPaws toys. Mostly Zippy Burrow™ toys.
Okay, one final question for you. True or False? Cats rule, dogs drool.
That’s a trick question. They both rule.
