If you’ve ever been sad to walk out your door and leave Fido or Tabby behind, you’ll understand the desire to tote your pet along with you to the office.
For the lucky few, Take Your Pet to Work Week (celebrated in June) is every week. Customers and human co-workers alike enjoy the presence of these furry friends at several Tri-Village area businesses.
Murphy and Associates
Add a pup and get an office of cheerful accountants and happy clients; it’s an equation that has worked out so far at the accounting and tax preparation service located on Old Henderson Road.
Lexy (Pictured above), a miniature schnauzer, has been a part of the office for seven years.
“She’s very popular, makes friends easily,” says Cathy Wilson, Lexy’s owner and an accounting manager and CPA.
Lexy is so lovable that clients and visitors, such as the mailman, seek her out, make her cookies and give her gifts. And Wilson’s co-workers enjoy Lexy’s company, too.
“I like coming into the work with a dog in the office. It’s always a stress release,” says Christina Carmell, fellow accountant. “It’s a nice distraction, in a good way.”
Objects for the Home
It started as a furniture shop, but Objects for the Home on Grandview Avenue has also earned itself a reputation for a variety of smaller home accessories. Perhaps the cutest among them: 10-pound Maltese poodle mix, Amos.
“He's a rescue, which we're very passionate about,” says shop – and pup – owner Chelsea Cabot who started the store with business partner Kristopher Konieczko in 2010.
“It certainly is fun for people when he's in. Everyone loves conversing about their own pets and sharing stories,” says Cabot.
The 2-year-old Amos is often spotted near the main desk. Though friendly, he is a “little young and unruly” and is kept on leash much of the time, Cabot says.
In spite of the restriction, Amos is one of the shop’s most popular attractions.
“We would have never guessed that Amos would get gifts, but someone brought us a bag of gourmet treats for him one time,” says Cabot.
One thing Cabot and Konieczko love to do is show Amos off in photos.
“We love doing Amos’ pics of the day. Everything is cuter with a pup in the picture.” Cabot says.
Stitching Witch
While waiting for a pair of hemmed pants at the Stitching Witch on Fifth Avenue, it’s impossible not to notice 3-year-old miniature pinscher poodle, Coco. But the friendly pup isn’t the shop’s first pet.
When owner Robin Johnson opened the sewing and alterations shop nearly five years ago, her previous dog, Ginger, was there, lighting up the faces of customers.
“She was a fixture of my business,” Johnson says.
After Ginger passed away, a customer happened to remark that the store wasn’t the same without a dog. That same day, the customer brought six-week-old Coco into the store.
“And Coco’s been with us for three years now,” Johnson says, laughing.
In the years since, Coco has been showered with gifts and individual attention.
“Mailmen bring her biscuits. Customers bring toys, Christmas gifts, sweaters, even witch-themed Halloween costumes. You think of it, they’ve brought it,” Johnson says.
Upper Arlington Veterinary Hospital and Northstar Animal Care
With so many cats and dogs in and out of a vet’s office on a daily basis, it might not be surprising at least one would end up at Northstar
Animal Care on West Fifth Avenue on a permanent basis.
Crispy the cat, a diluted calico, has been at the office four years.
“She was an owner surrender, which is traditionally how most clinics get their animals,” says Practice Manager Mandi Justus.
Crispy has free roam of the hospital during the day – which brings her into contact with many of the office’s clients – and is caged at night for her own safety.
“(Clients) really like her,” Justus says. “Most of our regulars know her by name, and a lot of them enjoy sitting out in the lobby, sitting by her, petting her. It makes the time go by faster if they’re waiting.”
If you start petting her, you might find it difficult to stop. If you stop, Crispy will paw you gently until you start petting her again.
“She’s a great cat. She’s very vocal and very loving, and once you give her (affection), you can’t get away from her, bless her heart,” Justus says.
Wendy’s Pampered Pets
It’s the name of her shop, but it’s also an apt description for owner Wendy Penn’s two poodles, Kiwi and Susie.
The two dogs spend their days at Penn’s pet grooming store on King Avenue. The two well-groomed pets are an incredible advertisement for the business.
“I just love them,” Penn says. “They come in and sleep all day. But they do greet some.”
When they do greet people, Kiwi and Susie keep waiting customers entertained by just being themselves.
In Memoriam: Acorn Bookshop
Acorn Bookshop on Fifth Avenue is well-known for its friendly staff and massive collection of around 50,000 books, including vintage and collectable tomes.
Biblio, a blue-point Siamese cat that held the position of director of customer relations, was not the least of the store’s friendly staffers. Sadly, the cat died this spring.
“He was destined to be a bookstore cat with that name,” says owner George Bauman, also known as “Bookstore George.”
“We still have people coming in asking if Biblio is on the premises. He was a very calm cat, loved to sit on the counter here. (He was the) best advertising to get people in the store. People used to love to come in and ask to pet him,” Bauman says.
David Allen is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at laurand@cityscenemediagroup.com.
