Richa Namballa, a data scientist and project manager with software company SAP, has been working from home since mid-March due to the coronavirus. She and her 14-year-old dachshund-mix Miles, are living with her parents as they wait out the pandemic. Miles has an enlarged heart and congestive heart failure, so he requires a lot of attention, but working from home allows Namballa to provide him with the care he needs. But Miles isn’t the only one who is benefiting from this arrangement. Having her beloved dog at her side while she works has been a boon to her productivity and mental health.
“Miles has definitely made working from home a lot more enjoyable,” Namballa says. “He’s a good distraction once in a while, when you’re kind of starting to burn out a little bit. It’s definitely nice to be able to talk to him, pet him and take care of him.”
