NEW YORK — Rachel Jones gets to work with her best friend everyday. That would be Frasier, a four year-old Brussels Griffon.
She works at the tech company “Fueled,” one of a growing number of companies allowing pets in the office.
“Do you think you would have stayed at Fueled as long as you have if they didn’t let you have Frasier?”
“Probably not. I mean, maybe that like speaks to me being like more of like a crazy dog person. But, it’s just does so much for me, it gives me so much flexibility.”
She’s not alone. A new survey found 44 percent of Americans would consider a career move for a pet-friendly workplace.
Rena Lafaille with the ASPCA said research shows dogs in the office can lower stress levels in workers and actually lead to increased productivity, but they can also present some challenges.
“Maybe your co-worker might be scared of dogs or really allergic. Something else to consider, dogs do like to get into wires and chew on wires.”
Fueled co-founder Ryan Matzner requires dogs to be well behaved and trained.
“Any downsides at all?.”
“I think once in a while it’s like this dog is barking at some other dog or growling at the UPS delivery guy but nothing serious.”
Employee Lisa Hufnagel enjoys hanging out with Frasier and another office dog named Majesty.
“If I feel like petting them and kind of chilling out for a minute I can take a break and do that.”
A work day for these two canines is looking pretty dog-gone good.
