One of the nicest parts of working here at the Beverly Hills' AOL/Huffington Post office has been the bring-your-dog-to-work policy. It basically allows dogs to sleep at the feet of their people all day long with the understanding that everyone keeps their teeth to themselves and remembers where the fire hydrant is.
What I like about the policy is that it sets the tone for the office. You walk in here and, after being greeted by Beaugee the Yorkie-Poo or Diesel the Newfoundland, you totally get what we are about. Our canine co-workers are part of the office ambiance. The occasional woof reminds us that this isn't a place for suit-wearing managers who need to fly first-class; it's a place for scrappy, runaway ideas and the high energy it takes to make them happen.
Which is why a howl of protest spread across the office on Friday. It was announced that our building's new landlord -- a.k.a. Mr. Meanie -- had determined that dogs would no longer be welcome as of June first. Let me just say, I wouldn't want to be in Mr. Meanie's Italian leather shoes when Dio the Yorkie (a teensy dog who clearly has never seen his reflection in a mirror) finds out. Dio usually works from home on Fridays, but you don't mess with Dio.
Now, I'm not of a high-enough pay grade to know the reasons behind this biting decision, but my money is on something related to insurance or Mr. Meanie's mother never letting him have a dog as a kid. But surely he has read the studies about how pets help us relax and keep us healthier?
Here's hoping he reconsiders. And while my own scrappy Bichon-Poodle mix has only come to work with me on the rare occasion that she can be accompanied by her less-scrappy human sister, I will sorely miss Otis -- the Huffington Post TV writer's Boston Terrier -- checking out my lunch (we do share on occasion) and Billy the Bichon swinging by to see if I have any biscuits that Otis didn't already scarf down. Please say it isn't so.
Photos courtesy of the Beverly Hills Aol/Huffington Post office.
