I was having a conversation about a recent post I had about a “dream office culture” and this person asked me what I thought about animals or pets being in the office.
I had no answer for them, I had never really thought about it.
So, I ask you, the community! What are your thoughts about having pets in the office?
Oh, and do you know of any ministry or non-profit org that does this?
Sherman B says
Occasionally fun and distracting; but distracting for any length of time. Also could be a thing if there is someone there with allergies. I vote no.
austinklee says
I haven’t heard of any NPO’s or Churches doing this…but @eyespeak does! @larsmiller brings his dog everyday and I have brought both of my dogs at one time or another.
Stephen Bateman says
If I was in Seattle I’d say yes, in South Carolina…no.
Allergies is a good point.
Josh Gussler says
Are church office is closed on Fridays so if i come in I will usually bring my dog with me. Now where my wife works you can bring your dog or kid to work with you. The dog cannot be a nuisance or bark.
Tom Jamieson says
I personally would have no problem with it. When I was a solo pastor at a previous church with no other staff members, I brought our two puppies to the office almost everyday. However, for offices with more than one staff member, I would say it depends on the staff and the environment.
Good post!
Greg Shore says
We used to bring our dogs to work and when someone became upset with a staff member about their dog’s behavior, all of our dogs were banned. If we had set some guidelines and enforced them from the beginning, then there would not have been the need to ban all dogs. I brought dogs to work with me for eight years before the ban. And this was in South Carolina.
Phillip Gibb says
personally I don’t think that the office environment is not right for certain pets, and certain pets are not good for certain environments. I don’t think you can apply a blanket rule or be biased. Is that obscure enough?
Jonathan Hinshaw says
My office allows dogs, we love ’em!
We love animals. Personally, as the owner, I feel that the team works better with their favorite pet in their office. When you’re working long hours and putting together complex coding, a walk with a couple dogs can be just the thing to motivate you for the rest of the work day – it also helps avaoid the dreaded 2:30pm crash – kinda like 5 hour energy.
There is something to be said about allergies, however – if you had allergies, why would you want to work at a place that had dogs in the office? Am I right?
PS. our blogs are awesome – keep up the good Word! I’m sure the Jesus would have a blog if he was here in human form during this time. What a great deal! Thanks for the hard work in putting this blog together.
– I don’t use 5 hour energy by the way 🙂
Michael Cooley says
I’m all for it. Unless we’re talking cats. Allergies. That’s probably the issue to be concerned about – I think I’m allergic to a cat at 100x the distance peanut allergy people are allergic to peanuts. Besides the behavioral unpredictability – and you can take that several different ways – there are so many people out there with allergies. Then there are some people who have irrational fear of animals. The goal should be making maximum number of clients, customers, visitors, staff or whatever comfortable. You knock the comfort level down for so many it couldn’t possibly be beneficial.
John says
Pets should not be allowed in the office. Some people are allergic to the dander and hair of animals. Others, like myself, have family members who are allergic and coming home with pet hair on me could cause a reaction.
BenJPickett says
Depends on the dog. The dog needs to be mellow, OK with being ignored and quiet. When I was a kid one of the doctors that I went to brought his dog in with him every day and that was great especially considering some of the procedures that were done at this office were very painful. Patients of all ages really appreciated having the dog there, it was by far the most relaxed doctor’s office I have ever been to. Another testimonial to how much the dog was appreciated was the memorial that was put up by the patients when it was announced (by a local paper) that the dog had passed away.
There is a concern with allergies and dander but the same risk is posed by going into any public environment and encountering people that have pet’s at home, including clients and customers that come into your office and work environment.
Tom says
My dogs are awesome, but I’d not want them in the office.
Working from home is one thing – they just sleep all day, but we’re gonna be hard pressed to keep them from going all kibbles-and-bits on dewde’s hair.
On second thought…
Andy Darnell says
Could there be a wakeful flea in the office that allows pets.
The wakeful flea who bites the mouse,
Who scares the cat,
Who claws the dog,
Who annoys @bayshorts
Who tweets @tomsfoolery
Who interrupts @dewde
Who distracts @alliswell
Who annoys @human3rror
Andy Darnell says
Crap. I used annoyed twice 🙂
Chris Rouse says
I used to work with a guy who brought his Great Dane to work on Friday’s from time to time. Her name was Zoey and if you were sitting in your desk chair when she stopped by your cubicle you were face to face with her. She never bothered anyone but she did like to see what people were up to and would sometimes get up and walk around by herself.
The guy that brought her had her trained to respond to an electronic dog whistle kind of thing. He’d push a button on a remote a couple of times and she’d come wandering back to his office. Usually she flopped down in the floor in his office and he would keep his door pushed shut so she didn’t feel the need to walk around all the time.
Super friendly dog and loved attention when she got it but never begged for it. We didn’t really have clients or customers that came to our office so it wasn’t a big deal and when I started there he gave me a heads up that she would coming in with him to make sure I was ok with it since I was new to the office.
I didn’t have a problem with it, but I think at some point bringing your pet to work does cross the casual vs business line. I guess it all depends on the culture of the office.
Yohan Perera says
No way… Never!!!
Jim Liberatore says
We had a church dog for a little over a year. Most liked it. I was soothing. There were, however, a very few who were deathly afraid of dogs (this one was little and not normally threatening.) I think the atmosphere is better with a church dog. We have all animals in the worship area for animal blessing during worship in St. Francis Day (transferred to a Sunday.) What a happy place.
Graham Brenna says
I’m not really a fan of pets in the office. We had a member a few years ago who would constantly bring his dog into the church during the week and just let it loose. We’d find crap randomly in corners and all that… not cool. I’d be working at my desk and this random dog would just stroll into my office… definitely weird.