Manchester boss awards Border Collie ‘Employee of the Month’ 15 times in lockdown

A Border Collie was awarded 'Employee of the Month' 15 times during lockdown - for keeping a Manchester team's spirits up and making everyone smile.

'Lifesaver' Lottie received her first award last April, when owner and yappy.com founder, John Smith, decided she deserved a place on the usually human Employee of the Month wall.

The eight-year-old Border Collie has gotten up to all sorts of antics over the last 15 months - and her adorable escapades have all been documented on the company's Instagram account.

From dressing up to take Tiger King inspired Joe Exotic selfies to celebrating their loo roll stash as the nation's stock fell low, Lottie kept John smiling - and brought the whole team joy from the Manchester HQ.

Eight-year-old dog Lottie kept owner John smiling on busy days in the office (yappy)

Lottie was pictured celebrating Eat Out To Help Out, Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, Halloween and Christmas.

Every month, John snapped a seasonal photo of Lottie and framed it on the Employee of the Month wall.

In August 2020, Lottie showcased new work products, in November 2020, she proudly supported Remembrance Day, and in June 2021, she took a well-deserved nap on the sofa.

Manchester boss John awarded Border Collie Lottie 'Employee of the Month' 15 times (yappy)

John, who set up the online personalised dog and cat gift shop in 2018, initially took the photos to share with just his team of 25 staff.

“Like many UK business owners, during the first lockdown, I found myself suddenly juggling the demands of running a business and trying to ensure that the morale of my staff was kept intact,” John said.

“When it became possible to make trips into the office for a change of scenery, I still didn’t see many staff at all, and most days found myself working alone five days a week.

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In May 2020, Lottie celebrated the office's loo roll stash when the nation's supplies were low (yappy)

“On those days, Lottie was a lifesaver and kept me going with cuddles and constant entertainment.

“I decided to start sharing photos of our days with the team to keep everyone smiling.

“Lottie was a total star and definitely deserved to be awarded ‘Empawee’ of the Month for simply making the whole team smile on busy days and for keeping me company.

“Dogs have this amazing sixth sense and ability to know how you’re feeling and even five minutes of tummy-tickling or going for a short walk with them can help reduce stress levels and calm you down on difficult days - they really are man’s best friend.”