Now
Fair
20°
High
47°
Low
29°
Full Forecast

Jobs

Cars

Homes

Rentals

Alerts

Subscribe
Home > News > Local
Bookmark Us   •   Make Us Your Homepage

Lincolnites bring their dogs to work

Comments 13 comment(s)  
E-mail Story E-mail Story
Print Story Print Story
Share  Share
Text Size: 
Tools Sponsor

BY MICAH MERTES / Lincoln Journal Star

Friday, Jun 20, 2008 - 02:47:52 pm CDT

It was another Friday morning at the office. Mouses clicked, keyboards clacked, workers consulted with clients. 

But throughout the offices of Turbine Flats, 2124 Y St., a few not-so-typical things were going on.

Namely: barking, rear-end-sniffing and the occasional bathroom accident.

Story Photo
Dog owner Aaron Petersen allows 5-year-old miniature pinscher Heineken to enjoy the "big" chair during National Take A Dog To Work Day. The event was sponsored locally by the Capital Humane Society. (Eva Barajas)

Related Media

Take your dog to work day

Local business incubator Turbine Flats encouraged all dog owners to bring their pets to work on Friday. The annual event, created by Pet Sitters ...

Comments: 0
Rated:

And you thought your office was casual on Fridays.

Fortunately, there’s an explanation: Friday was the 10th annual Take Your Dog to Work Day, a holiday started by Pet Sitters International.

And while many businesses may be reluctant to let employees bring canine companions into the office, the entrepreneur incubator Turbine Flats was one Lincoln workplace that welcomed it.

“Every day here is kind of an exception to the rule, anyway,” said Matthew Wegener, president of ISoft Data Systems, a company in the Turbine Flats building. “We’re not a stuffy business environment. And besides, it’s Friday.”

The Turbine Flats workers broke up the day with a barbecue, which gave the dogs a chance to socialize. And, it turns out, petty conflicts of office life are not limited to the human world.

Lots of woofing, nipping and chasing took place over the lunch hour, with at one point about four or five leashed dogs and their masters all tangled in a giant knot.

All the ensuing silliness of bringing a bunch of dogs to the office aside, Take Your Dog to Work Day has an important aim, said Lee Ann Stover, co-owner of A Pause for Paws and a volunteer for the Capital Humane Society.

“The day is all about increasing the awareness of pets that are unwanted,” she said. “By exposing some cute little faces, we hope someone will fall in love and take them home.”

Stover and a few other volunteers brought two up-for-adoption dogs to Turbine Flats on Friday: a German shorthair named Buddy and a lab-border collie mix named Kona.

Kona was excited to be there — really excited: “I’m going to jump in the air and pant really hard and lick your face” excited. 

If Kona were looking for a career in the marketing and Web design fields, which many of the companies in Turbine Flats fall into, she would make a good sales rep, with her endless supply of energy and good people skills. 

A mini pincher named Heineken, on the other hand, was more nonchalant, seemingly disillusioned with the state of the modern workplace.

Office life takes all breeds.

Reach Micah Mertes at 473-7395 or mmertes@journalstar.com.  


$1 Sunday Delivery - Subscribe Today!
Local > Back to Top of Story

Post Your Comment

Standards and Rules
All posts to JournalStar.com are subject to our Terms and Standards.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.
(optional)
   
Hide Comments Hide Comments   Newest First Newest First  
JA wrote on June 20, 2008 3:31 pm:
" Cool story! Wish I could bring my baby to work... ;0) "

 Jennifer wrote on June 20, 2008 3:38 pm:
" AWESOME! I wish more companies would allow this. Especially on a day to promote the adoption of dogs! Heinekin is so cute! "

 doglover wrote on June 20, 2008 3:45 pm:
" Great idea...and I bet some dogs probably out work their owners! "

 Benna wrote on June 20, 2008 3:59 pm:
" This is great! I actually take my Yorkie to work two days a week. All the employee's love interacting with her and she's proven to be good therapy for several of us through the 4 years she's been "working with us". I just love going into businesses that have a pet on the premises as it feels more warm, relaxed and welcoming when they're present. I'd encourage businesses to do this more than once a year...maybe even once a week rotating employees critters. "

 Matt Platte wrote on June 20, 2008 4:53 pm:
" Take those leashes off and see how dramatically the number of conflicts drops. And it works the same with dogs, too. "

 LS wrote on June 20, 2008 4:53 pm:
" My boss brings his dogs to work with him everyday. Since I started here they have been here every day but 2, and those days seemed lifeless around the office. They keep us all intertained when they want to go outside because they will let anyone know. It makes the office alot more comforitable. Everyone in the office would bring in their dogs if they could but we find in a small office that 9 dogs would just be way to many. I think more business should be open minded about bringing pets to work. If they can insure that they will not bother others and behave then I see no issues with pets at work. "

 hound dog wrote on June 20, 2008 4:57 pm:
" My dog would go crazy at work...BAD PUPPY!!! "

 GG wrote on June 20, 2008 5:00 pm:
" My husband and I have an insurance office in a small town. When I got a puppy (Peke-a-poo) 3 months ago I just didn't have the heart to leave her home alone all day. We bring her to work everyday and everybody seems to have fun. She's behaving well and even if someone walks in kinda irate, they soon melt after her greeting, so it makes it more mellow for everyone involved... :) As long as they behave, I would encourage any business that can do this to do it...it makes the day go by MUCH faster. "

 Allergies wrote on June 20, 2008 5:00 pm:
" Please please - as much as you love your dog, please be aware that there are people out there who are EXTREMELY allergic. I used to work at a department store, and frequently had people walk in with dogs! It's like Paris-Hilton syndrome or something, where people find it acceptable to bring their dogs into any place they choose. Your dog belongs at home or at the park. Not at Target, not the mall, and not, I'm afraid, at your place of work. "

 Nina wrote on June 20, 2008 5:40 pm:
" Sometimes our doggie goes to the grain elevator with hubby, who is the manager. But he is well trained, will 'stay' when told, 'leave it' when told, etc. (the dog that is; although I almost have hubby to that point, too). When one of our sons was about six, the local elevator had a big German shepherd who rested his front paws on the windowsill by the scale. When trucks pulled up full of grain, the first thing the drivers saw was this dog, which belonged to the elevator manager. Our son commented, when we drove up to the scale, 'Boy, it takes a smart dog to weigh us and make the scale ticket.' Ha, ha. "

 Gov Employee wrote on June 20, 2008 7:44 pm:
" I work with DOGS every day........ "

 Agatha wrote on June 20, 2008 10:14 pm:
" I support taking your dog to work day, but I wish people were reminded of the upcoming day sooner. Even if I can't take my dog to work, I would try to get the bosses to let us have a display about animals at the Humane Society.

I do wish I could take my dog to work every day. I would be in a better humor, Im sure. "

 Perry wrote on June 20, 2008 11:09 pm:
" Take your dog to work day is the 3rd Friday in June usually. That way you can prepare for next year and maybe get some pet sitters to come walk your dogs while you work. That is what happened at Turbine Flats today!
What a cool idea. "

Ads by Yahoo!