Staff Spotlight: Eric Skinner
We thank Eric Skinner for his service. Not just to The Watering Bowl for the last two and a half years, but also to our country for eight years before that in the United States military.
He’s an exceptional staff member whose love of dogs has followed him throughout his life.
“I enjoy being at The Watering Bowl for the dogs and their owners,” says Eric. “I know what it’s like being away from something that important.”
And that couldn’t be more true for a guy who spent a year deployed in Iraq. “One day a pack of younger dogs walked onto our outpost, and I kind of adopted them.” But if you ask those dogs, they might say the same thing about him.
While his buddies would relax by watching movies or playing games, Eric fondly remembers spending his off time with the local stray dogs, playing, feeding and watering them. Looking back, he says, “They really helped me pull through and kept my head up during that time.”
And judging by his connection with the dogs at The Watering Bowl, the feeling was likely mutual.
Eric worked in three different branches of the military during his service. From Army infantry to Marine motor transportation to Department of Defense fire academy, he’s gained quite a bit of experience.
But to us, none was more impressive than his choice to connect with the stray Iraqi pups.
And he also shows off a lot his versatility at each of our locations. Primarily, Eric works at our Brentwood location, but you might catch him at the Dog Grove or South County on occasion. He works all shifts and is the man behind the camera in a lot of our photos.
When he’s not tending to doggy daycare with us, Eric enjoys sculpting, taking in documentaries and generally learning new things. And his new roommate is usually at his side when he does.
His dog, Aftermath, is a gray and white pitty, and they’re the best of buds. And one of the perks for Eric (and Aftermath) is that it’s always bring your dog to work day at TWB.
We’re lucky to have both of them around. And Eric considers himself lucky to spend time with your dogs while they’re here.