Those of us who have pets know what a wonderful and enriching addition they can be to our lives. Whether you live a type-A lifestyle, running from meeting to soccer practice to the grocery store, you have achieved a Zen balance to your existence, or are you are at the empty nest stage of life, animals in the home can offer humor, affection and unconditional love.
The high school I went to was quite progressive. Some called it a “new age” school. We had open classrooms and called our teachers by their first names. One of my favorite “idiosyncrasies” of my high school was our “Pet Policy”. Students and faculty were allowed to bring their dogs to school. Looking back on it, I have no idea how it all worked out, but several students and even our Headmaster brought their dogs to school every day. I don’t ever remember a single problem with the animals other than the occasional “accident” but even that was rare. Visitors to our school thought this was strange at first, often times reacting with wide-eyed stare, but upon seeing the interaction between the animals and students, most would ultimately decide that it was “cool”.
Fast forward 10 years.
Ours is a family business. One day a black cat wandered into an open bay door. The cat appeared ill, but not feral. I will tell you the longer version of Rachel’s story another day, but for now let’s just say that the little black cat that crossed our path became a permanent part of our office. During the day she was free to roam in and out of the building, from the warehouse to the office, from desktop to willing laps. Clients and regular visitors to our office came to not only appreciate the tiny member of our staff, but sought her out when coming to the office. When someone had a bad day, Rachel was there to cuddle. Rachel lived a long, and we like to think, happy life with us. When she was somewhere around the age of 9 she disappeared. We were all heartbroken. We discussed getting another cat, but we all felt that Rachel could not simply be “replaced.”
We did not have an office pet for several more years, until my sister adopted Phoenix. She began bringing the dog to the office 1 or 2 times a week she said because she couldn’t bear to look at her sad face as everyone was leaving in the morning. It took no time at all to realize that Phoenix was a real morale booster and she started coming to work 5 days a week. She comes barreling through the door in the morning and makes her “rounds”. She runs from office to office to say “good morning” to everyone. She wanders through customer service to greet each phone operator. If Phoenix makes it in before me in the morning, she runs at me at top speed when I enter and then skids to a stop at my feet to get and give her morning “loves.”
Phoenix has taken to attending every meeting. Sometimes she sits under the conference table and others she perches herself on the sofa to watch and listen. If we had an extra chair at the table, I can easily picture Phoenix sitting in it. If someone has forgotten to call Phoenix when a meeting starts, she shows up anyway, scratching at the door to be let in. If a day is getting tense for someone they will often take a few moments to bring the dog outside and throw a toy for her. Usually whatever the problem is seems a bit better after watching Phoenix run in circles for a little while. She makes everyone laugh. Sometimes just by cocking her head to the side and raising an eyebrow, other times by running laps around the call center or stalking her toys. Phoenix gives great big hugs. She will put her 2 front paws on your lap and lean against your neck until you cannot resist putting your arms around her and squeezing. Talk about stress relief! Phoenix seems to know when she has made someone’s day better. She may approach them quietly if she senses they are having a bad day, but she can’t help but wag her tail as soon as she sees that she has made you smile. On the rare occasion that Pheeny stays home we are all sorely disappointed.
It may seem silly or counterproductive to have a pet at the office. Many would feel that employees taking time out to play with a dog is not cost effective. From my perspective the opposite is true. Those few moments spent here or there communing with the dog can provide a much needed break to a busy day. The affection and humor she provides helps to relieve stress which makes me feel more productive. It seems to me that having a pet in the office when possible makes a whole lot of sense. I for one am very happy that Phoenix joined our team.
I realize this is not practical or possible in many work situations, but when it is possible, it’s something to think about.
Tags: boxer, dogs, pets, Whales & Friends
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