Personal Note:

This is an article reprinted from MEDIUM. A few years ago, as winter approached, I faced four months of cold and ice in a drafty two hundred year old home in New England. I woke up alone. I went to sleep alone. I worked, alone, at home writing or editing for Rabbit Publishers. I was depressed. I decided to get a dog. I named him after the king. Arthur. Here he is on his ride home right a few days before Christmas.

Arthur comes home for Christmas

Arthur changed my life. I grew comfortable, happy, and I had someone who needed me. When I awoke at 2 am, he awoke too. He followed me to my desk. He slept at my feet until morning. He tugged on my jeans when it was time to go out. I was more connected and comfortable with people when I called, Skyped, or Zoomed with them. Arthur is a Corgi, known for being friendly, and having a smiley-face.

Arthur joined me on the 100,000 Steps in One Day Challenge

When I visited other companies in the real world, I found a significant difference in the cheerfulness of a company’s culture when dogs were integrated into the ethos. People worked hard but they were more relaxed. I learned that dogs in the environment actually helped raise productivity in companies.

So I have a book called the dog that I co-wrote with Steven James Taylor which comes out this fall. I thought as part of the book tour, I would present ten awards to ten companies that excelled in integrating dogs into the workplace. Along with a dozen other folks, we formed an advocacy group, Dogs@work, to find those ten companies and salute them for their forward-thinking efforts. And so The DOG Award was born.

The award has nothing to do with the book except it utilizes one of the markers from the book which was designed by co-author, Steven James Taylor, saluting the marvelous relationship between our furry friends and their humans.

The Steven James Taylor illustration from the book

Here is the MEDIUM story:

Dogs@work, an advocacy group that supports dogs in the human workplace, announce the ten winners of The 2018 DOG Award. The awards are given to honor dog-friendly, American companies. In alphabetical order, those in the winners circle include: Ben & Jerry’s, Bissell Homecare, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Etsy, GoDaddy, Google, Mars, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Zogics, and Zynga.

“We are thrilled to salute these ten American companies for their excellence in integrating dogs into the workplace,” says Debbie Black, a director of Dogs@work. “Dogs in the workplace make for better and kinder companies, and in turn, a better and kinder world.”

The majority of research has shown that dogs in the workplace increase overall productivity, joyousness, and health. “It is out hope that by celebrating these ten companies, other great companies will follow their lead.”

This fall, the ten companies will each receive their crystal and gold awards at their company headquarters. The Latin phrase, a bonis ad meliora, embedded in the gold circle of The DOG Award means from good to better.

The award will be presented by David Paul Kirkpatrick, a director of Dogs@work, and the co-author of the novel, the dog. Kirkpatrick is the former President of Paramount Pictures as well as the former production chief of Walt Disney Studios. “It’s a real delight to be presenting The DOG Award to these exceptional companies. The recipient-companies span the breadth of America, from San Francisco, California through the Midwest all the way to Burlington, Vermont. The greatest thing of all is that the award ceremonies will include employees as well as their furry friends.”

The ten companies to receive The DOG Award this fall include:

Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s even has a name for their dogs who join their humans at work. The dogs are the “K9–5ers”.

“Here at Ben & Jerry’s, we love our dogs almost as much as we love our ice cream (okay, maybe the same amount). That’s why we are proud to have dog-friendly offices, where we welcome our “K9–5ers” to join their humans at work each day,” says the company.

“Members of the K9 crew start their day with a pup-friendly treat at the reception desk, and enjoy plenty of pets, cuddles, and walks throughout the day.” The company adds. “ It’s a “ruff” life for this pack of K9 pals, to be sure. But as any Ben & Jerry’s-er will tell you, having their furry friend by their side during the day makes all this hard ice cream work all the sweeter.”

Ben & Jerry’s is an American company that manufactures ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet. It was founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. Today, it operates globally as a fully owned subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate, Unilever. Its present-day headquarters remain in South Burlington, Vermont.

Bissell Homecare

Beyond an open-door policy for dogs, Bissell’s Headquarters also has a dog friendly “PetSpot” complete with an open area for dogs to play together, kennels with outdoor access so that dogs can come in and out as they wish, a dog bath, treats and toys to keep pets occupied so their parents can have meetings and get their work done.

“Bissells’s dog friendly policy is just one of many examples that demonstrates our passion for and commitment to pets,” says Matt Kruer, Director of Bissell Strategic Development. “Our employees genuinely believe in our pet mission and embody it in their everyday lives. Pets are an integral part of our daily lives and our products.” According to Bissell, not only does its dog friendly culture boost morale, but studies have shown that having dogs in the office helps with collaboration and trust between employees.

Bissell Homecare is the number one manufacturer of floor care products in North America with 20% market share. It is a privately held, family operated business with its main offices in Grand Rapids, Michigan with 2,500 employees.

Build-A-Bear Workshop

Build-A-Bear might be named after a bear, but it couldn’t be friendlier to another kind of favorite furry companion: dogs. In order to bring their dogs to work, employees at the St. Louis office, sign a “Doggy On-Boarding” agreement, which covers etiquette rules. The company’s dog perks include puppy parties to celebrate dog birthdays, treats, and a canine concierge service that whisks the dogs off to a spa day with grooming and day camp.

The company has been acclaimed for the quality of its working environment. At first, the company’s slogan was “Where Best Friends Are Made”. In 2013, the slogan was changed to “The Most Fun You’ll Ever Make”.

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is an American retailer that sells teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Customers are part of an interactive process in which the stuffed animal of their choice is assembled and tailored to their own preferences during their visit to the store. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the largest chain that operates in this style. Since the close of Toys-R-Us, Build-A-Bear is the largest bricks-and-mortar toy retailer.

Dog Days at Etsy | Company Produced Video

Etsy

Etsy’s dog-friendly office policy has been in place since the company began in 2005. It’s one of the ways Etsy strives to maintain a casual, creative, and inspiring work environment. “Bringing our dogs to work helps keep spirits high and fosters a sense of community and connection that is paramount to what Etsy is all about,” says Etsy’s employee experience manager, Sarah Starpoli.

Etsy is a publicly traded e-commerce portal focused on handmade merchandise. Whether they’re belly-up begging for a little afternoon scratch or following their owners to meetings with tails wagging, having dogs around during the workday also increases the brain’s ability to solve problems, says Etsy learning and development consultant, Paloma Medina.

Medina, who has lectured on creative problem solving at Etsy, bases these insights on research and first-hand experience. “Stress levels decrease and laughter and levity increase when a dog is present in an office,” she says. “Further research shows that decreases in stress and increases in joy are critical for improved focus, productivity and creativity at work.”

GoDaddy

GoDaddy is the largest ICANN-accredited registrar in the world. It has over 6,000 employees worldwide. The internet giant has an open door policy for dogs in the workplace. GoDaddy is known for it’s convivial company atmosphere. GoDaddy is known for it’s convivial company atmosphere. According to the GoDaddy Website:

Myriad studies attest to the physical and mental health benefits of pets in the workplace and beyond. Here are just a few findings:

Playing with a dog can elevate serotonin and dopamine levels, which improves mood and reduces stress and anger.
Employees who bring dogs to work may experience lower stress levels and increased job satisfaction, as compared to colleagues who either don’t have pets or leave them at home, according to research at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Researchers at the University of Buffalo found that stockbrokers with high blood pressure who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure in stressful situations.
Dogs act as social ice-breakers and help their owners meet other people. The same study by researchers at the University of Warwick in the U.K. also suggested that dogs help people be more involved in their communities and be more sociable — even when their dogs aren’t with them.
In general, psychologists have determined that pet owners have greater self-esteem, are more physically fit, less lonely and more conscientious and extraverted than non-pet owners. Is there a social price to pay for all this pet-induced goodness? Nope. Researchers also found that relationships with pets don’t come at the expense of human relationships and that “pet people” are “just as close to other people as non-pet owners.”

Google

In its corporate conduct code documents, Google, the search engine giant, calls itself a “dog company. Google’s affection for our canine friends is an integral facet of our corporate culture.”

Google has an open-dog policy across its satellites across the world. Dogs who join their humans at work are known as “Dooglers”. The company’s dog-friendly policy extends to all of its 70 offices in countries including Belgium, Denmark, Israel, Russia and Brazil. Dogs embody the “tenacity, loyalty and all-around playfulness” of Google’s culture, says Meghan Casserly, corporate communications manager at Google. But their owners must be responsible too. They must, adhere to the “no peeing on the carpet policy”.

Employees and their furry friends at Mars Petcare

Mars, Inc

Dogs@work acknowledged Mars, Inc as having dog-friendly environments across the globe, including its offices in Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and Russia. Recently, Mars began a three year study, The Pet Insight Project, of over 200,000 dogs and their link with human health.

“Pets can’t speak for themselves, so it’s up to people and communities to advocate for them and the many ways they make our lives better,” said Mark Johnson, President of Mars Petcare North America.

Mars is one of the largest and most successful family-owned companies in the world. Its brands include M&Ms, Snickers, Cesar, Wrigleys, Pedigree, and Dolmio. For over one hundred years, the Five Principals have been at the heart of the Mars culture. The principals are: quality, responsibility, mutuality, efficiency, and freedom.

Founder, Tito Beveridge, talks about the company’s commitment to dogs

Tito’s Handmade Vodka

“Our team feels having their furry companions by their side during the work day contributes to a very productive and happy environment,” says Beth Bellanti at Tito’s Handmade Vodka. “Tito built his distillery with a very beloved dog by his side 16 years ago and that culture of having dogs around us at Tito’s Handmade Vodka and helping other dogs has always been a comfort.”

Dogs@work singled out Tito’s Handmade Vodka for its national fundraising launch for low-cost spay neutering known as “Vodkafordogpeople.com” .

Tito’s Handmade Vodka is an American company founded in 1997 by Tito Beveridge. The special vodka is made from yellow corn, not wheat. In 2017, the company had a market share of 7.1 % in the American vodka market.

Zogics

Zogics recently expanded with Zogics Pet, producing a line of eco-friendly personal pet care products made from organic, plant-based cleansers and soothing ingredients. Headquartered in the Berkshires, Zogics’ offices are surrounded by acres of outdoor space and 15 miles of dog-friendly trails. Its “Pawternity” policy gives new pet parents an extra week of paid time off.

“Dogs have been an integral part of our culture from day one,” says Paul LeBlanc, CEO of Zogics. The company’s eco-friendly fitness products are in over 70% of gyms in America.

Zynga

At Zynga, pet insurance for dogs is offered along with healthcare coverage for humans. The creators of popular games such as Farmville has declared that “every day is ‘bring your dog to work day.” When Zynga employees take their dogs to work, there are free treats for the dogs on hand. There’s even a small play area on the roof of the Zynga building in San Francisco for the dogs. And it’s not only dogs — Zynga welcomes cats, ferrets, and lizards too.

Zynga is the online gaming company based in San Francisco responsible for Farmville, Words with Friends, and Texas HoldEm. Its name and logo derive from co-founder, Marc Pincus’s American Bulldog, Zinga.

To learn more about Dogs@work, The DOG Award, or our mission, please visit us here.

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