Dog Prayer

Pets at work can be a plus

By: Marie Stempinski

Marie Stempinski is President of Strategic Communication, a full service public relations/marketing/business trends consulting business in St. Petersburg, Florida.  She writes for The St. Petersburg Times and business newspapers and magazines. Marie also provides marketing and business trends consulting for small businesses and corporations.


We Americans love our pets.  In fact, we love them so much that we see them as members of our families.  Perhaps that’s why we can’t seem to part from them even for a few hours a day. In fact, according to a recent survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturing Association, 1 in 5 American companies allow employees to bring their pets to work.  They also say that having pets at work means more productivity, lower stress, less absenteeism and even greater employee willingness to work overtime!

Allowing pets at work isn’t something new.  It’s been commonplace to see dogs, cats, parrots and other animals in small, one or two person businesses for decades.  However, recently the trend has been growing and now many large companies and corporations allow Tabby and Fido in the office.  There’s even a “Take Your Pets to Work Day” every June.

But all is not rosy in petland. Some people aren’t so keen on non-humans in the workplace. There’s a growing backlash and it seems to revolve around workplaces without planning and policies. The biggest negatives are:

• A pet can distract the owner from his or her work

• Employees with allergies or other health issues can be negatively impacted by the pet

• Employees with fears of animals may be uncomfortable

• Poorly supervised pets roam into other people’s work areas can cause trouble

• Bad doggie breath can make for a not so great day at work

• Customers may have negative feelings about encountering your pet at the work site

• Insurance considerations can cause problems.  Will the pet be an insurance hazard?  What are the insurance implications for the business?

The Answer:  Establish “Pettiquette” at your work place.  Paw-Rescue.org suggests many strategies including the following:

• Establish a policy that includes what type of pets your company will allow and when, where, and how they will be welcomed into your workplace.

• The policy must respect coworkers’ space and make sure the pet(s) do not frighten coworkers or are not around coworkers with health or allergy issues that would be compromised by the pet

• Forewarn all employees and make them aware that pets are coming and when

• Ensure that the pets are housebroken, comfortable around strange people, and in strange surroundings

• Allow only healthy pets

• Owners must provide food, treats and water for their pets and take them outside for breaks.  Owners must also clean up after their pets.

• Owners must be responsible for their pet’s behavior.  For example, the best type of dog to bring to work is one that is calm and obeys simple commands like SIT, STAY, and LIE DOWN.

Please contact Ms. Stempinski at mstratcomm@gmail.com with any questions. Make sure you put "Pets At Work" in the subject line so she will know it is not spam

Pet Links-Healthy Living

Pet Links

Healthy Living

• Motion Sickness Medication
  Does your dog get sick in the car? Now there's a treatment for motion sickness in dogs.
• Pet Insurance Review
  Looking for pet insurance? Read reviews and compare the rates and benefits of top insurance companies at one convenient site.
• PetCARE TV
  Online free pet health videos!
• HealthyPet.com
  The American Animal Hospital Association's website for pet owners.
• VeterinaryPartner.com
  Animal health information from the Veterinary Information Network, an online veterinary database and community.
• 
  
  
  AAHA Pet Emergency Info
  What constitutes a health emergency for your pet?
• Pets Need Dental Care, Too
  Learn more about proper oral health care for dogs and cats.
• Whispering Hope Ranch
  A place where animals and people come together for mutual healing.

Animal Safety and Protection

• Petfinder.com
  Search a vast database to find a homeless pet to adopt.
• The Humane Society of the United States
  The world's largest animal protection organization, working for the welfare of domestic and wild animals.

• ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
  Dedicated to providing the most medically useful veterinary poison and drug information possible. 24-hour poison hotline available.
• The Perseus Foundation
  Numerous online resources provided by an organization dedicated to promoting public interest in the search for a cure for cancer in animals and children.
• The Marine Mammal Center
  Working to protect marine mammals and their environment. Click on the link to see what creatures are in the hospital!

Dog and Cat Owners

• The American Kennel Club
  Breed registry for purebred dogs in the United States. Working to advance the study, breeding, exhibiting, running and maintenance of purebred dogs.
• The American Kennel Club - Dog Breeds
  Learn more about the 150 different breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club.
• The Indoor Cat Initiative
  Dedicated to enriching the lives of indoor cats.
• The Cat Fanciers' Association
  The world's largest registry of pedigreed cats, with information on cat shows, cat breeds, cat care and more.

Bereavement

• The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement
  A non-profit organization dedicated to helping people suffering from the bereavement of a pet.
• Tufts University Pet Loss Support Hotline
  Helping people work through their grief and get through a difficult time.

Dave Benfeld-Principle of Dogwatch of Central Florida speaks about his company

Visit us at http://www.dogwatchfl.com

Plexidor® Performance Pet Doors

We are pleased to announce that we are now a dealer for the Plexidor Performance Pet Doors

Plexidor® Pet Doors are professionally engineered and manufactured from quality materials to be the very best: quiet, energy-efficient, completely secure, long-lasting and most importantly safe and easy for pets to use.

Manufactured in the U.S.A. to ensure reliable delivery and replacement parts service.

 Plexidor® Door Unit - high performance pet doors for various doors
 Plexidor® Wall Unit  - security pet doors to be installed in walls
 Electric Plexidor® Unit - Security and Animal Access Control
BiteGuard KennelPlex - Kennel Line

With a Plexidor® Performance Pet Door you will enjoy... » Peace and Quiet » Security and Convenience » Undisturbed Sleep » Uninterrupted TV » Freedom from worry about letting your    pet out

Customer Testimonials » read more "Though your Plexidor comes with only a 3-year warranty (now 5 years), I want to let you know how good it is: 14 years with no problem! It was the right choice then, and I think it would be the right choice for anyone who buys a Plexidor today." ---Maureen O'Connell, North Reading, Massachusetts

For more information on Plexidor® can work for you please call us at:

 (800) 884-STAY (7829) or email us at dave@dogwatchfl.com

DogWatch is not invisible

DogWatch "hidden fences" are often mistakenly referred to generically as "invisible fences". Invisible Fence® and Invisible Fencing® are Brand names, products and registered trademarks of Radio Systems, Inc. Click the links below to learn more:

• Compare DogWatch to Invisible Fence
• Compare DogWatch batteries to others
• Read an independent dog fence review