Workdays getting a ‘pup-grade’

Walking into 280 Paint and Body in Chelsea, customers might be greeted by an unexpected front desk worker. Hopping up from her chair, Lucie will climb up on the counter and peek her head through the service window, sometimes climbing through it to say hello.

If this image sounds a little strange, it’s probably best to explain that Lucie is a canine coworker at 280 Paint and Body, and she sits behind the front desk with her owner, Jackie Kirby.

And Kirby and Lucie aren’t the only human and pet pair along the 280 corridor. Whether it’s to bring a smile to customers’ faces, a chance for a helpful companion or just because they love dogs, the trend of bringing pets to work is alive and well along U.S. 280.

280 Paint and Body

Lucie was adopted by Kirby in October 2014, only a few days after she took the dog in as a foster.

“I’m a foster failure,” Kirby admitted. “I instantly fell in love with her five minutes after I picked her up. She has been coming with me [to work] ever since I got her.”

The owner of 280 Paint and Body would already bring his dog, Buddy, to work, Kirby said, so she knew she would be able to bring Lucie to work as well.

“Just from him bringing his dog and the comments, people loved it, and he knew it would be fine with her little disposition,” Kirby said. Lucie’s calm and quiet demeanor made her an ideal dog to hang out at the office, she said. 

When Lucie started to come to work, Kirby said it wasn’t any different than when Buddy was there. At most, customers would comment on there being a “new dog” in the office.

Most days, Lucie can be seen sitting in her chair behind Kirby’s desk, but she is always happy to climb out of her spot to jump and greet visitors.

“Usually she’s in her chair, and if someone says, ‘Oh, aren’t you pretty,’ then up in the window she goes,” Kirby said. 

Customers typically have positive reactions when they see Lucie, and very few seem wary of there being a dog around the office, Kirby said. Just in case, Kirby said she’ll check before letting Lucie get up in the window if it’s a new person. Overall, however, having a dog at work — especially somewhere that is a destination for stressful situations such as car problems — is ideal. 

“She gives hugs and kisses, and the thing that’s so beautiful about being, especially in a place like this, is people come in and they’re upset because they wrecked one of their most prized possessions, and she seems to just kind of calm them down,” Kirby said, adding that Lucie can help bring a smile to someone’s face, even if they are dealing with auto damage.

“It kind of takes your mind off of what you’re doing here,” Kirby said. 

Tyler Rutledge, State Farm

For sister schnauzers Sugar and Sophie, their favorite spot is under the desks at Tyler Rutledge’s office in Chelsea. Rutledge, an agent for State Farm Insurance, said he always knew, once he got a dog, he would bring them to work.

“Even if I had a big dog, the dog would come to work. No doubt,” he said. 

Part of that comes from being an animal lover in general, Rutledge said, and from wanting to have a positive vibe around the office at all times. Having his dogs around is a way to show that he’s a family guy, Rutledge said, and helps make the feel of an insurance office a little more family-friendly.

“One of the things I want people to know about me is that we’re just normal people here,” he said. “I’m just a normal guy, so yeah, I bring my dogs to work.”

Kids will hang out with Sugar and Sophie and pet them when they come by the office, he said. While insurance is an important topic, the dogs can help reduce stress for everyone who works there.

“Anytime you own a business, there’s a ton of stress that goes into it,” Rutledge said. “I’ve struggled with anxiety for quite a while, and having them here, it really is calming.”

The other agents in the office will sometimes swing by Rutledge’s office to grab Sugar or Sophie if they’re having a stressful day, Rutledge said, and he oftentimes finds the dogs in another room. When they’re in his office, they can be found curled up on their dog bed under Rutledge’s desk, sitting in his lap as he works or begging for Cheerios — one of their favorite treats.

When the dogs hang out in the front of the building — Sugar can be seen with her nose pressed against the window — they will also bring in a little foot traffic.

“We have people who will literally walk by and see the dogs laying by the front windows of the office, and they’ll come in just to say ‘Hey’ to the dogs,” Rutledge said.

Despite occasional bursts of high energy or customers who aren’t dog people, overall Rutledge said having the dogs around only improves their workday. While there are some companies with innovative policies such as casual dress codes or not having set work hours, Rutledge said their way to improve office morale is by having a few four-legged workers around.

“It’s kind of creating a cool culture in your office. That’s what I feel like bringing an animal to work does,” he said. “It’s just a different type of culture, and it’s fun.”

Isbell Jewelers

When Hoyt, a 2-year-old Rottweiler, started coming to work at Isbell Jewelers at eight weeks old, it was just supposed to be to get him through the potty training phase. But even after that period ended, his owner Suzy Isbell decided he’d continue to come to work every day.

“Him being a Rottweiler, we wanted to have him socialized with people and other pets. We wanted him to be around a lot of different situations,” Isbell said. “He just kept coming every day, and now he thinks it’s his job to come to the store.”

Rottweilers as a breed are used to having jobs, Isbell said, and when Hoyt doesn’t come to the office he feels like his day is “out of sorts.”

Hoyt’s main job ends up being “pop ups” at the counter, Isbell said, where he’ll stand with his paws on top of the jewelry cases, greeting customers.

“He wants to wait on customers, is what I think he thinks he’s doing,” Isbell said. 

While he stays behind the counter during the day, people will consistently come by to see Hoyt, Isbell said. And for everyone who works at Isbell Jewelers, he helps make the day a little calmer.

“It just makes your day a lot less stressful. Not that we have a stressful job at all, it’s just, you’re working and working and he’ll come and put his head on your lap,” she said. “… It just makes you stop a minute and smell the roses, I guess.”

They joke that Hoyt is “off on Fridays” so that he can get used to when Isbell and her husband are out of town and won’t be by his side. 

“He’s just been a real joy and a lot of fun to bring to work,” Isbell said.

American Tree Maintenance

Dogs have always been a part of American Tree Maintenance on Chelsea Road. Owner Jim Paramore will admit he started the tradition, bringing his golden retrievers to job sites, and it has just become a part of company culture.

“We’ve always been dog lovers, animal lovers, really,” Paramore said, adding his wife was raising a few baby squirrels at the time of the interview. 

At work sites, customers have met Bristol and Eli, two golden retrievers whose photos are on the American Tree Maintenance work vehicles, as well as Winston, a rescue Paramore adopted after his golden retrievers passed away. They’ve also probably seen Honey, another golden; or Charlie and Sheba, who come to work with Branden Dunlap; or Bam Bam, a miniature Yorkie, around the office.  

Most of the dogs are rescues, Paramore said, and they offer their help as stress relievers and coworkers. Bristol and Eli were both trained to bring tools or keys to Paramore when he was on job sites, and they’d help unload everything from equipment to groceries. While Winston doesn’t lend a hand that way, Paramore said his presence is calming and even helps with his physical health.

“He doesn’t understand the work thing because of his breed, but he definitely wants to make me happy,” he said.

Paramore, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s seven years ago, said having dogs around helps take his mind off of the disease. Petting the dogs, along with medicine prescribed by his neurologist, will relieve tremors, and Winston will even lay his head in Paramore’s lap if his restless leg syndrome starts acting up.

“Animals are really good with me,” Paramore said. “If you’re stressed out, there’s nothing like having an animal with you.”

As the owner of American Tree Maintenance, Paramore said he wants all of his employees to love coming to work and love what they do. And if that involves bringing their dogs around, he said he is happy to have that as an option. 

“Without animals in our lives, we’re just missing out on life,” he said. “… This is life right here. This is life. We take it day by day, so why not live it the best we can.”