advertisement

Pets at work may help atmosphere - but bring their own risks

NEW YORK (AP) - When a conference call turns tedious, Brent Robertson can still count on getting a smile from watching Gus rolling around on the floor.

The golden retriever is a regular visitor to Fathom, Robertson's management consulting business in West Hartford, Connecticut. So are Pookie and Ari, dogs owned by two of Robertson's co-workers.

Beyond the old tradition of a used bookstore or antique shop having a resident cat, some urban delicatessens and bodegas have cats to mitigate any rodent problems. And at some smaller professional businesses with a relaxed culture, it's becoming more acceptable for employees bring in their pets. Robertson is among business owners who think having animals around boosts morale, improves the work atmosphere and raises productivity.

"Everyone seems to smile and immediately become a little bit happier," says Barbara Goldberg, CEO of O'Connell & Goldberg, a public relations company based in Hollywood, Florida. Her bulldog, Rosie, is a frequent visitor.

A survey by the Society for Human Resources Management found that 7 percent of organizations allow pets in the workplace, though that may not reflect the practices of very small businesses that don't have HR officers.

At Badger Maps, owner Steve Benson's Pomeranian mix, Foxy, seems to know when employees of the San Francisco app developer need some comfort.

"They're very intuitive," Benson says of dogs. "They have the ability to recognize when someone's stressed out."

But not everyone, including employees, customers and visitors, thinks animals belong in an office or a store. For as many customers that may be charmed, some people are allergic or afraid - and might take their business elsewhere. So besides paying attention to permission from landlords and laws about having animals where food is being prepared, people need to consider how to accommodate uncomfortable staffers or clients.

Rodney Alvarez, a human resources executive at Celtra, a video advertising company, says legal issues to consider include making sure the company's insurance covers any incidents like biting, and keeping animals well-behaved so they won't frighten visitors. Some owners say when they interview job candidates, they let them know there are pets around.

Staffers at Celtra's San Francisco office asked to bring in their pooches. Managers decided that was OK at its four offices, but only if every staffer agreed, Alvarez says. One Boston employee said no, and so there are no dogs in that office.

One regular deliveryman to Fathom is petrified of dogs. Since Gus "is a full contact dog," Robertson says, "we collect the dogs and put them away in a room so (the deliveryman) can do his thing."

And at Sterling Communications, seven of the 20 staffers want to bring their dogs into the Los Gatos, California-based office. CEO Marianne O'Connor, who has a German shepherd named Kaya, worked out a schedule that allows two dogs each day. Upholstered furniture may be off limits.

"We push them off gently, and they learn, that's not for them," O'Connor says.

When visitors arrive, pups may be placed in a closed office with a water bowl and toy.

At Crescent City Books in New Orleans, the majority of customers are glad to see Isabel, a Maine coon mix cat, and some let her curl up on their laps as they sit reading. "Most with any issues just keep their distance," manager Michael Zell says.

Most often, a business becomes pet-friendly when it's the owner who brings an animal in. Anne Buchanan adopted a dog about 12 years ago who turned out to be emotionally needy and much happier when Buchanan was around. So she began taking him to work at her eponymous PR firm in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

As her company grew, staffers asked if they could bring pets in, too. There are generally two dogs in the office, and sometimes as many as four, including Buchanan's two rescues, Katie and Lacey.

Behavioral issues can crop up, but many owners said they can be dealt with. If Rosie the bulldog at O'Connell & Goldberg starts barking during a phone call, the office manager quickly lures her away from Goldberg's side. When Buchanan's dog and a staffer's couldn't get along, the boss paid for a trainer to work with both pups and their owners. Peace was restored.

Sterling staffer Rosie Brown recalls when Hazel, a co-worker's Swedish Vallhund, couldn't wait for her owner to get out of a meeting and left a present behind Brown's chair. The next day, Hazel's owner brought a cake for the office that said, "Sorry I pooped. Love, Hazel."

"We all laughed it off," Brown says.

Many people without pets are happy to have co-workers' animals nearby.

"The dogs just wander around from office to office, say hi to everyone and nobody minds," says Mike Dunklee, co-owner of Blvd Suites, a corporate housing company based in Oak Park, Michigan. Some staffers without pets keep treats in their desks.

Cats also sometimes make themselves at home in workplaces with dogs. When Brandon Scivolette, president of Elite Moving Labor, goes on vacation, his cat boards at the Tampa, Florida-based company, where there is often at least one dog about.

"A cat is a great thing for an office. It goes from office to office to hang out with people," Scivolette says.

_____

Follow Joyce Rosenberg at www.twitter.com/JoyceMRosenberg . Her work can be found here: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/joyce-m-rosenberg

In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, Bowie, a 2-year-old husky mix, gives a high-five to employee Rosie Brown, left, at Sterling Communications in Los Gatos, Calif. Many small business owners believe pets improve the quality of work life. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) The Associated Press
In this Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, photo, Barbara Goldberg, CEO of O'Connell & Goldberg Public Relations, poses for a photograph with her bulldog Rosie, at her office in Hollywood, Fla. Goldberg is a small business owner who believes pets improve the quality of their work life, boosting morale and easing tension for staffers. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) The Associated Press
In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, Marianne O'Connor, at right, CEO of Sterling Communications, right, and employee Madeline Mains take their dogs Kaia, right, and Bowie for walk inside the company's office, in Los Gatos, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) The Associated Press
In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, Anne Buchanan, owner, Buchanan Public Relations, pets her dog Lacey at her offices in Bryn Mawr, Pa. Many small business owners believe pets improve the quality of their work life. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) The Associated Press
In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, Marianne O'Connor, at right, CEO of Sterling Communications, talks to her dog Kaia, center, next to employee Sarah Koniniec, at the company's office, in Los Gatos, Calif. Many small business owners believe pets improve the quality of work life. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) The Associated Press
In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, Kaia peeks out of the Sterling Communications office where her owner, Marianne O'Connor, is the CEO, in Los Gatos, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) The Associated Press
In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, Lacey, a rescue, sits at Buchanan Public Relations, in Bryn Mawr, Pa. Many small business owners believe pets improve the quality of work life. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) The Associated Press
In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, Jon Ericson pets Katie at Buchanan Public Relations, in Bryn Mawr, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) The Associated Press
In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, John Reynolds, left, pets dogs Lacey and Katie as Laura Tabbut looks on at Buchanan Public Relations, in Bryn Mawr, Pa. Many small business owners believe pets improve the quality of work life, boosting morale and easing tension for staffers. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) The Associated Press
In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, Anne Buchanan, owner, Buchanan Public Relations, poses for a photograph with her two rescues, Lacey, left, and Katie at her office in Bryn Mawr, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) The Associated Press
In this Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, photo, Barbara Goldberg, CEO of O'Connell & Goldberg Public Relations, left, consults with her staff with her bulldog Rosie at her side, at her office in Hollywood, Fla. Goldberg is a small business owner who believes pets improve the quality of their work life, boosting morale and easing tension for staffers. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) The Associated Press
In this Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, photo, a bulldog named Rosie plays on a sofa in the office of her owner Barbara Goldberg, CEO of O'Connell & Goldberg Public Relations, in Hollywood, Fla. Goldberg is a small business owner who believes pets improve the quality of their work life, boosting morale and easing tension for staffers. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) The Associated Press
In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, Marianne O'Connor, right, CEO of Sterling Communications, center, and employee Madeline Mains take their dogs Kaia, right, and Bowie for walk in the neighborhood near their office, in Los Gatos, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) The Associated Press
In this Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, photo, Sterling Communications employee Madeline Mains, center, takes her dog Bowie, left, for a lunchtime walk alongside co-worker Keely O'Connor, right, and her boss' dog Kaia, right, in Los Gatos, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) The Associated Press
In this Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, photo, Kristine Florio holds her her dog Gio, wearing a necktie, while working at O'Connell & Goldberg Public Relations, in Hollywood, Fla. Barbara Goldberg, the CEO of the company, is a small business owner who believes pets improve the quality of their work life, boosting morale and easing tension for staffers. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) The Associated Press
In this Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, photo, Kristine Florio works as her dog Gio sits in her lap at O'Connell & Goldberg Public Relations, in Hollywood, Fla. Barbara Goldberg, the CEO of the company, is a small business owner who believes pets improve the quality of their work life, boosting morale and easing tension for staffers. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) The Associated Press
This undated photo provided by Brent Robertson shows Angus “Gus" Robertson, a 2-year-old golden retriever who goes to work everyday with his human, Brent Robertson, at creative consultancy Fathom.net, in West Hartford, Conn. Robertson is among business owners who think having animals around boosts morale, improves the work atmosphere and raises productivity. (Brent Robertson via AP) The Associated Press
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.