By Adria L. Henderson

and Lisa Peterson

The Take Your Dog To Work Day™ sponsored by Pets.com is a national event that calls attention to the wonderful pets that dogs make.

The annual event, held this year on Friday, June 23, highlight’s the benefits of dogs in the workplace. According to recent scientific studies, bringing Fido to the office can create a more productive work environment, lower stress, and decrease employee absenteeism. Bringing your pet to the office will also encourage camaraderie between people and pets. 

Other studies have shown that spending time with pets brings down high blood pressure and relieves anxiety. A stress–free environment with relaxing working conditions leads to happy employees and employers. Bringing your dog to work fulfills all these requirements.

To celebrate Pets.com’s Take Your Dog to Work Day™, Safe At Home, LLC will be a local sponsor of this event. For more information on participating contact us (information found at the end of the column) about bringing your dog to work! In addition, we visited Newtown businesses that allow their employees to bring their dogs to work on a regular basis. In the coming months we will feature those pets and owners lucky enough to spend the workday together.

Driving by the Mobil Gas Station on Route 25 across from the Botsford Fire Station you see Mackenzie, a three-year-old female Cane Corso or Italian Mastiff. An imposing animal, she may bark at the cars pulling into the station but she does not leave the office doorway or venture out into the fill-up area. Cane Corsos are large, working dogs bred from ancient Italian stock. They were originally bred in ancient Rome and were used to hunt large game such as wild boar.

 Since the demise of the wild boar in Newtown, they now make excellent guard dogs, are very loyal to their families and are fairly aloof with strangers.  Mackenzie follows the breed standard with her imposing size and huge bark but she is extremely friendly to all, except as gas station owner Gary Buzzanca states, “She can always pick out and let us know about the bad guys.”

Mackenzie’s owner, Jim Miller said he began bringing Mackenzie to the station about a year ago.   He explains that she had a pretty bad start in life. Her first owner, the dog’s breeder, didn’t want to keep her because she was not “show quality” and sold her to Miller’s friend who had a female Bull Mastiff. The two just didn’t get along, so Miller decided to adopt her. When Miller adopted her he was determined that this would be the final home for Mackenzie and he set out on a course to have her achieve the best possible lifestyle.

Miller immediately realized she was far too lonely by herself at home all day. Because of her background she also needed some socialization.  Mackenzie hadn’t been around many people in her short life. Bringing her to the station was a great way to have her get out and meet the public.  Matter of fact she gets so much stimulation at the station that when she gets home she sleeps until 9 pm.

It is not all for Mackenzie that Miller began bringing her to work.  He enjoys her company and this is a way he can spend some time with her during the workday when he would normally be away from her.  Miller is always in Mackenzie’s view no matter what part of the station he is working in.

Mackenzie comes to work on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the whole day. During that time she has plenty of company and stimulation from all the people who come in for a gasoline fill-up, and sometimes, just to see her.  Although she had some obedience work in her previous life, Miller has taught her not to go beyond the doorway of the station office without his command to do so. This is to protect the dog from the busy vehicle traffic pulling in and out of the station, but also so that people who are afraid of her won’t bypass the station. She is extremely obedient to all of Miller’s commands.

“She offers protection for the station and the employees. We even have some customers who come in just to see her and that brings us more customers,” said Buzzanco who agreed to let Mackenzie come to work.  

Other employers who might want to consider this arrangement can have a trial run at it with Pets.com’s Take Your Dog To Work Day™.  It is wise to consider how well behaved your dog will be in the workplace environment before bringing them in for the day. There is nothing more disruptive to a work schedule than an uncontrollable dog running round the office.

Be sure that you can control your dog, and that his manners are acceptable. Bring his favorite food, food and water dishes as well as his favorite playthings to keep him busy when you have to work.  A baby gate to keep him in your office might be a good idea. If the day works out well you might consider asking your employer about bringing the dog in occasionally, maybe when the workload is light or on dress down Friday. If your dog suffers from separation anxiety bringing your dog to work may be an answer, if the environment is right. 

For local businesses interested in participating, Safe At Home, LLC, a member of Pet Sitters International, will provide guidelines and doggie etiquette information. And any business participating may submit a photo of dogs in the workplace to be published in our column. Pet Sitters International, a national association of professional pet sitters, sponsored the first “Take Your Dog to Work Day” last year.

 

Scotty Finds a Home

We want to thank the many readers who responded to our last column about Scotty, the lesser sulfur-crested Cockatoo, in need of a new home. Bird lovers flocked to our aid with many suggestions about care, feeding and beak and feather disease management. Many requests came offering Scotty a new home. After careful screening we believe we found a suitable loving home for Scotty

We love happy endings.

You can reach us at P.O. Box 427, Botsford, CT 06404 or e-mail us at animallifestyles@ usa.net or phone us at 426-5784 or 426-4682.

Adria Henderson and Lisa Peterson are owner/operators of Safe At Home, LLC a Newtown-based pet sitting service.