Meet Our Furry Friends: Introducing the Pets of Health Innovation Group

Forget water cooler chats and motivational posters! At HIG, our most impactful team members have paws, feathers, and the occasional penchant for shredding important documents! Yes, we're talking about our beloved “office” pets, the furry (and scaled, and feathered) dynamos who inject daily doses of joy, frustration, and surprisingly profound inspiration into our workday. As the legendary philosopher Garfield once wisely observed, "To err is human, to purr is divine." And trust us, these creatures are definitely divine, even when they're "helping" with deadlines by napping on keyboards or "critiquing" presentations with well-timed barks. Get ready to meet the utterly adorable, and occasionally chaotic members of the HIG family who prove that the best colleagues have four legs (or wings, or fins!).

Meet Hammy (Alexandra Salekeen)

Meet “Hammy” of Destruction—a pint-sized whirlwind of chaos wrapped in golden fur. Don't be fooled by his adorable button nose and dewy little eyes; beneath that fluffy exterior lies the soul of a wrecking ball. His greatest passion? Attempting to consume objects significantly larger than his head. A grape? No match for his determination. A whole taco? He’ll try. Your phone? He’s assessing its edibility as we speak.

Once The Hammy of Destruction sets his mind (and teeth) on something, there is no stopping him. He is small. He is fluffy. He is inevitable. 

Meet Apollo (Alice Strachan)

Apollo is a 12 year old Golden Retriever who is obsessed with toys. When someone comes in the door (even those of us who live here) he runs to find a toy. He does not bark unless he needs to be let back in from the yard and even then it is only once. He is not much of a moocher unless it is cheese or bread. He loves digging in the snow with his nose as you see in the photo.

Be careful if you start petting him as that will quickly become your full time job.

Meet Kai (Shaelynn Garner)

Hi. My name is Kai. I am older now than my photo shows… but I am thinking back to my glory days and all the things I love to do. If I could describe the perfect day it would start with an hour stroll along the river, smelling, and chasing deer behind my house, then dipping in the water for a swim. I would ask my mom and dad to play fetch with me using a rock - that's why I have to eat soft food now, but it's still worth it. Sometimes I go to work with my dad, he is a teacher, and I have become the new school mascot. I like to roam the halls and the students take me outside at lunch to play "flying squirrel" - aka frisbee. I do get a little stiff in the morning, so I avoid stairs and lay on the deck smelling the wind and watching the deer taunt me. They think I can't get them because I am blind in one eye, but I will.. I must.

My personality is two polar opposites, kind of like my eyes. I really like being alone, but in my old age I am now allowed on the couch, so I don't mind sitting beside my people. Sometimes I will even let my younger sisters dress me up, but if they annoy me I just get up and leave.I have quite the story - like a cat with 9 lives, and I have learned to enjoy the little things. Nothing beats leftover sandwich crusts and belly rubs - people touching me isn't so bad after all.

Meet Figgy (Spencer)

Figgy is an 7-year-old cat with lots of fluff and personality. He loves being held, eating treats, and guarding the office door.

He takes his job as Nap Specialist and Communications Intern very seriously, always nearby to proofread content (or sit on the keyboard) and offer moral support. When he’s not napping, he’s probably popping into Zoom calls uninvited.

A Tribute to Roscoe (Mark Watt)

For 17 years, I was proud to be Mark’s sidekick—his scrappy, high-jumping Jack Russell Terrier with more energy than sense and a fierce loyalty to the ones we loved. From the moment he brought me home, Mark led with a quiet confidence that made me feel safe, understood, and, most of all, valued. He didn’t just train me—he taught me, patiently and consistently, like every moment together was an opportunity to grow. Sit, stay, roll over, high-five—I learned them all because he believed in me, and I trusted him completely.

Mark wasn’t just my person; he was a leader in every sense. I watched him pour his heart into helping others—people, not just dogs like me. He was always reading, thinking, building something better, and somehow, even on the busiest days, he still had time to take me for walks or teach me a new trick. His dedication to learning wasn’t just for himself; he used it to help others thrive. I saw him work with teams, guide people through tough moments, and celebrate every little success like it really mattered. That kind of leadership? It’s rare.

But what I’ll always be most grateful for is how he loved his daughters. I was their protector—their furry shadow—and Mark always made sure I had what I needed to keep them safe. He didn’t just care; he paid attention. That’s the kind of person Mark is. I may be gone now, but I left this world knowing I was part of something special. I had the best job in the world: walking beside someone who led with kindness, lifted others up, and never stopped believing in what’s possible.

Wrapping Up

Whether they’re shredding papers, snoozing through Zoom calls, or greeting visitors with a toy in tow, these pets remind us what really matters: joy, companionship, and a little bit of chaos. They keep us grounded, bring us together, and sometimes, teach us more about loyalty, leadership, and love than any meeting ever could. So here’s to the four-legged (and winged and finned) coworkers of HIG—the real MVPs of our workdays.