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Why Almabase Feels a Little Like a Petting Zoo (and We Love It)
I’ve been at Almabase for over four years now, and one thing that hasn’t changed is how much this place genuinely loves animals. Not in the “let’s put it on our About Us page” kind of way, but in a very real, very heartwarming, very lived-out way.
And honestly, we’ve never really talked about it. So I thought it’s time we did.
Before I get into the stories, a big thank you to Janak Bhaiyya (JB, as we call him). He’s literally the backbone of our office. From cooking amazing food to being the go-to person for any small issue in the office, he does it all. But what makes him extra special is his love for animals. Every pet story at Almabase, in some way or the other, starts with him.
Here are some of the animals who’ve been part of our journey, even if just for a little while.
🐶 Pepper — The OG Queen
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Pepper was rescued by one of our co-founders when she was just a pup and brought straight to the office. She’s been here ever since. If you’ve been to Almabase, you already know she’s our in-house queen.
She’s lazy, hates walking, barks at the rain, always takes the elevator, and demands belly rubs the minute you step in. She’s the best security system we could ask for. No one can escape her charm. She goes by Pepper, Peppu, Pepperoni, Peppudoodoo and whatever name the team invents on the spot.
When she’s unwell, people genuinely worry. When she’s lonely, someone visits. She’s gone home with team members for a change of scene and once even “went missing,” only to be found chilling outside a colleague’s (Akhil) house, wagging her tail like she owned the place.
JB and HB(Himalaya Bhaiyya) are her primary humans, but she really belongs to all of us.
🐱 Pichu — The Baby Catto
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JB found Pichu in the empty plot next to our office. Tiny, loud, and adorable. Everyone wanted a turn holding her. She also became the rabbit’s BFF (More on that below).
Manashi eventually adopted her and gave her a forever home. She now has her own room and rules her humans (as cats should). She was named after the Pokémon because, well, she looked like a mini Pikachu.
🐦 Mango — A Small Birdie With A Big Personality
This little bird lives with JB. He flies around freely, always comes back, and basically listens only to JB. He perches on his shoulder, follows him around, and has this cute little bond with him that’s just lovely to watch.
We’ve had a few other birds over the years and even a birdhouse at one point, but Mango has stayed and completely stolen our hearts.
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🐰 Bunny — The Cutest Rabbit
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Black and white, potty-trained (yes, somehow), and so squishable. Yet another one of JB’s rare Pokémon(s). Bunny had the most unlikely friendship with Pichu. They used to chill together, eat grass, and just vibe. Eventually, Bunny was adopted by one of JB’s friends and went off to a happy home.
🐔 Hens — Yep, We Had Hens!
Don’t have a photo of the hen. But hey, all hens look the same anyway!
There was a time we had two hens in the office. JB became so attached to them that he actually paused eating non-vegetarian food for a while. It was a wholesome little phase and just made the place feel even more alive.
Visiting Celebrities
It’s not just the permanent pets. We’ve had tons of pet visitors too.
- Luca (Yash’s dog)
- Shifu (Sri’s dog)
- Muggesh (Akhil’s cat)
- Alexis (Janani’s bird)
- Bubu (Meg’s cat)
And when someone needs help, the whole team jumps in. Like when Muggesh needed pet-sitting, Pragya, Bindiya, and Shweta all stepped up.
One Story That Still Makes Me Smile
I once found a scared little cat hiding near a car on a busy road. I brought him home, but my cat wasn’t having it. Aakash mentioned Meghana was looking to adopt, and she said yes immediately. But she wasn’t in town yet, so Mridul fostered the little guy. Took him to the vet, gave him meds, cared for him like his own. Today, he’s a big, healthy cat living with Meg, absolutely thriving. Also, he’s called Joonie now!
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We even have a Slack channel called #almeowbase. No explanation needed.
So yeah, we’re pet-friendly, but not in a checkbox-on-a-website way. It’s a part of who we are. It’s in the way people show up, care deeply, foster, adopt, and love.
On some days, it wouldn’t be wrong to call Almabase a full-blown petting zoo — and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
And if that’s not the best part of Almabase culture, I don’t know what is.
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I’ve been at Almabase for over four years now, and one thing that hasn’t changed is how much this place genuinely loves animals. Not in the “let’s put it on our About Us page” kind of way, but in a very real, very heartwarming, very lived-out way.
And honestly, we’ve never really talked about it. So I thought it’s time we did.
Before I get into the stories, a big thank you to Janak Bhaiyya (JB, as we call him). He’s literally the backbone of our office. From cooking amazing food to being the go-to person for any small issue in the office, he does it all. But what makes him extra special is his love for animals. Every pet story at Almabase, in some way or the other, starts with him.
Here are some of the animals who’ve been part of our journey, even if just for a little while.
🐶 Pepper — The OG Queen
Pepper was rescued by one of our co-founders when she was just a pup and brought straight to the office. She’s been here ever since. If you’ve been to Almabase, you already know she’s our in-house queen.
She’s lazy, hates walking, barks at the rain, always takes the elevator, and demands belly rubs the minute you step in. She’s the best security system we could ask for. No one can escape her charm. She goes by Pepper, Peppu, Pepperoni, Peppudoodoo and whatever name the team invents on the spot.
When she’s unwell, people genuinely worry. When she’s lonely, someone visits. She’s gone home with team members for a change of scene and once even “went missing,” only to be found chilling outside a colleague’s (Akhil) house, wagging her tail like she owned the place.
JB and HB(Himalaya Bhaiyya) are her primary humans, but she really belongs to all of us.
🐱 Pichu — The Baby Catto
JB found Pichu in the empty plot next to our office. Tiny, loud, and adorable. Everyone wanted a turn holding her. She also became the rabbit’s BFF (More on that below).
Manashi eventually adopted her and gave her a forever home. She now has her own room and rules her humans (as cats should). She was named after the Pokémon because, well, she looked like a mini Pikachu.
🐦 Mango — A Small Birdie With A Big Personality
This little bird lives with JB. He flies around freely, always comes back, and basically listens only to JB. He perches on his shoulder, follows him around, and has this cute little bond with him that’s just lovely to watch.
We’ve had a few other birds over the years and even a birdhouse at one point, but Mango has stayed and completely stolen our hearts.
🐰 Bunny — The Cutest Rabbit
Black and white, potty-trained (yes, somehow), and so squishable. Yet another one of JB’s rare Pokémon(s). Bunny had the most unlikely friendship with Pichu. They used to chill together, eat grass, and just vibe. Eventually, Bunny was adopted by one of JB’s friends and went off to a happy home.
🐔 Hens — Yep, We Had Hens!
Don’t have a photo of the hen. But hey, all hens look the same anyway!
There was a time we had two hens in the office. JB became so attached to them that he actually paused eating non-vegetarian food for a while. It was a wholesome little phase and just made the place feel even more alive.
Visiting Celebrities
It’s not just the permanent pets. We’ve had tons of pet visitors too.
- Luca (Yash’s dog)
- Shifu (Sri’s dog)
- Muggesh (Akhil’s cat)
- Alexis (Janani’s bird)
- Bubu (Meg’s cat)
And when someone needs help, the whole team jumps in. Like when Muggesh needed pet-sitting, Pragya, Bindiya, and Shweta all stepped up.
One Story That Still Makes Me Smile
I once found a scared little cat hiding near a car on a busy road. I brought him home, but my cat wasn’t having it. Aakash mentioned Meghana was looking to adopt, and she said yes immediately. But she wasn’t in town yet, so Mridul fostered the little guy. Took him to the vet, gave him meds, cared for him like his own. Today, he’s a big, healthy cat living with Meg, absolutely thriving. Also, he’s called Joonie now!
We even have a Slack channel called #almeowbase. No explanation needed.
So yeah, we’re pet-friendly, but not in a checkbox-on-a-website way. It’s a part of who we are. It’s in the way people show up, care deeply, foster, adopt, and love.
On some days, it wouldn’t be wrong to call Almabase a full-blown petting zoo — and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
And if that’s not the best part of Almabase culture, I don’t know what is.
Blackbaud, the leading provider of software for powering social impact, and Almabase, the digital-first alumni engagement solution, have announced the expansion of their partnership to the education sectors of Canada and the United Kingdom. The partnership will provide institutions with a modern, digital-first solution to improve constituent data, drive self-serve engagement, and boost event participation.
A Unified Vision
The partnership aligns with Blackbaud’s commitment to customer-centric innovation across digital engagement, Advancement CRM, and financials.
“Partners bring integrated capabilities that extend capabilities and outcomes for Blackbaud customers. We are thrilled that Almabase’s offering, integrated with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® and leveraging Blackbaud’s best-in-class payment solution, Blackbaud Merchant Services™, is now available to even more of our customers around the world.”
- Liz Price, Sr. Director of Global Partners at Blackbaud
