Guessing which four-legged trot they hear coming down the hall is always a fun surprise.
By Pam Foster, PetFriendlyOffice.com
“As an animal care design firm, animals are at the center of what we do. Pets in the office bring another level of happiness to the studios.”
All kinds of big dogs in veterinary architecture hang out at the offices of MD Architects, like Finn the handsome receptionist pictured here in their Indianapolis location. >>
I’m not even talking about the brilliant staff whose mission is animal-care facility design and guidance.
I’m talking about the big and small dogs of different breeds welcomed to the office on a regular basis.
The firm believes that bringing pets to work is a flexible perk and well worth offering to the team. As long as pets are well-behaved, the team encourages them in the office.
As your Chief Pet-Friendly Officer here, I wanted to know more. I spoke with Brooke Heckenberg, Marketing Manager at MD Architects, who noted, “We’ve always been a pet-friendly office. As an animal care design firm, our team is made up of natural pet people. We love creating animal-centric spaces, which inherently bled into our own offices unanimously.”
To accommodate regular four-legged visitors … MD Architects allows employees the freedom to bring in dog beds, water bowls, treats, and toys galore. Plus, they have a few community baby gates around the office for when pets need to be confined to a certain wing of the office or desk area.
Here’s a gallery of the just some of the furry friends enjoying the beautiful digs at MD Architects.
Colter and Cash
Alice and Scarlett
Demi (l) and Auto (r)
The big benefits of welcoming pets into the MD Architects offices
I asked Brooke to describe how pets impact the office environment.
She was happy to explain: “Having pets in the office makes the workdays fun! It keeps our team’s morale high and positively impacts our company culture.”
“Specifically, pets in the office bring another level of happiness to the studios. Having them nearby during the workday reduces stress, puts people at ease, build our company culture, and supports team collaboration and bonding.”
Brooke reported that they haven’t had any hurdles or problems yet. The team is accountable for bringing in their pets and understands that as long as they don’t disrupt the workday and cause distraction to others, they’re welcome.
Ultimately … “It’s ‘bring your pet to work day’ every day for our MD team. Guessing which four-legged trot we hear coming down the hall is always a fun surprise.”
Any recommendations for other companies thinking about allowing pets in the office?
Brooke recommends that when businesses are able to go pet-friendly, they should do so! It brings joy and laughter to the office and breaks up the sometimes-mundane routine of the workday.
Brooke added that the firm doesn’t have an official policy in place. Right now, it’s their soft “policy” that all pets are welcome as long as they’re behaved and don’t cause distraction to others.
She added, “As an animal care design firm, animals are at the center of what we do. Creating an office space that reflects this is an important value to us and something our team has always enjoyed.”
PetFriendlyOffice.com note: Many thanks to Brooke and MD Architects for their pet-friendly story and for providing their sweet pup photos!
About MD Architects
Celebrating 25 Years of Elevating Care Through Design. MD Architects is a full-service relationship-based architecture firm providing design solutions to the veterinary and human healthcare industries. It’s team is dedicated to providing superior planning, design, specifications, and construction guidance throughout each project. Learn more at the MD Architects website.
About PetFriendlyOffice.com
If you’re an HR Manager or business owner, you’ll appreciate having “All the Things to Make Pet-Related Benefits Easy” in one place. With my Pet-Friendly Office DIY System (checklists, templates, policy guidance, and more), you can set up everything yourself. Or let me handle most of it for you through my Pet-Friendly Office CONCIERGE SYSTEM. Can’t allow pets in the office? I can help you choose other popular benefits for your company. Ultimately, you’ll be the hero who leads a pet-friendly culture, increasing employee retention and attracting top talent.
Let’s make quick work of your mission. Start with this FREE resource: HR SURVIVAL GUIDE to Pet-Related Benefits — Pam Foster, your Chief Pet-Friendly Officer
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