Staff Spotlight: Q & A Session with Tina Adams
What is your role/super power with NPP?
My role at NPP has shifted from customer service to ordering and tracking inventory. It is my job to make sure that we have all the great quality foods, treats, and supplies on our shelves, and on the off chance that we don’t I get them as quickly as possible.
I am no longer at the register very much, but I am working just as hard behind the scenes to keep customers happy (and their humans too!)
Tell us about your pets…
My fur baby is Petey, who spends a lot of time at the store with me. I took Petey in as a foster in 2014. He couldn’t be adopted because he was part of a cruelty case, but he had been living in a kennel for almost two years and he needed a home. I didn’t think I would keep him because he was small and I liked big dogs, but it didn’t take long for him to change my mind and make me fall in love. I’ve now had him for 6.5 years and he is my best bud. He is a great hiking partner, the BEST snuggling buddy, and is down for anything as long as he is with me.
What do you enjoy most about working at NPP?
It is hard to pick just one thing, but I will say that for me it is the fact that every single day I go to work I learn something new. It could be something about food/supplements, training or tips/tricks about behavior, or business practices, but I am always learning new things. My co-workers and Nicci the owner all have so much knowledge and we all learn from each other as well as from the training we do about different products that we carry. We are not a typical pet store in that we are always trying to keep up with the newest sciences and helping to spread the word to our customers about what is best for their furry friends.
Tell us your must-have item from NPP?
Currently we are loving the lickimat. My little guy is not a fan of cold weather or precipitation so he spends more time indoors in the winter and the lickimat keeps him busy, engaged, and stimulated. Whether I put peanut butter, or yogurt, or frozen goat’s milk on there, he is thrilled!
What is your favorite product to recommend and why?
Goat’s milk, for sure. There are so many benefits to adding goat’s milk to your pet’s diet. It adds moisture, which is especially important to kibble-fed pets. It has probiotics to help keep the gut bacteria at appropriate levels. It helps when your pet is having diarrhea or loss of appetite. Even picky eaters typically love goat’s milk. Also, adding goat’s milk to the diet can help reduce inflammation and allergies.
What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
Hike and kayak. Hiking is an all-around wonderful past time. There is a hike out there for every skill level. Flat hikes, short hikes, long hikes, mountainous hikes, I’ve done them all! My greatest achievement has been Mount Washington in New Hampshire. I love the peacefulness of the woods and at the same time I love the challenge and reward of reaching a peak. I also love kayaking and Petey even comes with me despite being petrified of going in the water.
What is your proudest/most memorable moment since working at NPP?
I wouldn’t say that I have a proudest singular moment, but having worked here for the last four years, I am very proud of our growth. And when I say growth, I don’t just mean moving to a larger store, we have grown as a business in many ways.
We are able to assist so many pet parents in a multitude of ways, as simple as a training trick or as dramatic as a complete diet and supplement overhaul. We are selling more raw food that I ever imagined, and we just keep adding more and more freezers as we run out of space. We not only survived the pandemic as a small business, but we thrived thanks to our wonderful customers, employees, and vendors.
