By Juan Pablo Benítez
Translation Services Coordinator
A&P International Inc.
//anpintl.com

Hello, hola, bonjour! My name is Kisses Lowry, but you can call me Kisses. I am a 10-year-old black American Cocker Spaniel. My hobbies are: hanging out with my beautiful family, taking walks, eating healthy, traveling, and of course, taking long naps in my spare time. In my early years, I was a show dog, and I am deeply grateful for that experience because it developed my passion for diversity! I really enjoyed that glamorous world. However, I decided that it was time for me to move on in my career and follow my other passion: helping people and bringing joy to those around me! That’s why I decided to become an emotional support dog. And let me tell you something, “I’m loving every minute of it!”

I am currently working with my mom, Ana María Lowry, our President and CEO, as the “Stress-Relief Manager” at A&P International Inc. – an Orlando, FL company serving the global Supplier Diversity Community through training, coaching, business development.and cultural relevant translations. Our clients are corporations, government agencies and Diverse Business Enterprises (DBEs) that seek to grow their participation in Supplier Diversity.

I am in charge of bringing a positive attitude to our daily office routines and keeping our spirits up, because – although our workplace environment is amazing – we all know, not every day is a picnic in the business world. I love having people coming to our headquarters in Orlando; they all have different cultural backgrounds, projects and stories to share. I have learned a lot from them, and it’s awesome for me to have the opportunity to be a part of this diverse puzzle.

As you might guess, I have been quite busy; working overtime for the last couple of months. It is no secret the world is going through a pivotal time in recent history due to COVID-19. Small things that were taken for granted, have become a luxury, and we appreciate them now, more than ever.

Life, as we used to know it, will never be the same, and our Creator is giving us a chance to put the rush of our lives on hold to reflect on what really matters.

In this scenario, I believe that we, dogs, have to be more supportive than ever with our human fellows. It is our responsibility to be good guides for them and help them understand better – through our own example – the values of humbleness, gratitude, kindness and patience with one another. We have to keep going and let them know, that despite the ups and downs of life, we are always willing to be there for them – with a sincere heart and unconditional love.

So, dear dogs around the world, this is our moment to shine, and to get the most important aspect of our jobs done: to bring joy to those around us and leave a smile on their faces!