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In 2022, Cameron Robertson CA brought his injured border collie, Stevie, into his office to keep an eye on her recovery throughout the day. She’d been in a scuffle with another dog and, while it only took a few weeks for her ear to heal, Stevie is now a permanent fixture in the Christchurch office of accounting firm Sidekick, along with a chocolate-coloured labrador called Rocco, an exuberant Jack Russell/fox terrier cross called Jimmy, and 18 members of staff who are all welcome to bring their dog to the office.

“Whenever I’m in a meeting, Stevie sits outside the door, looking at me through the window,” says Robertson, a director at Sidekick. “I think she’s told Rocco to back off a couple of times. He’s still a puppy, but he got the message. And there’s an unspoken rule that if your dog does something, you clean up after it. It helps that we have concrete floors.”

Office perks

New Zealand is home to about 4.35 million pets. In Australia, the number stretches to 28.7 million. During the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, pets proved a much-needed source of comfort and companionship and, when their owners returned to the office, many four-legged friends went with them.

It’s not only small workplaces who are opening their doors to pets. Global giant Amazon, for example, allows staff to bring their dogs to the office when they wish. Its Dogs at Work program operates at the Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth offices. Amazon recently commissioned independent research that found that almost a quarter of Australians welcomed a dog into their family during the pandemic, and 71% of dog owners who work say they would love to be able to take their canine friend to work, too.

Employers at dog-friendly workplaces are reaping the benefits. A recent report from insurer PetSure reveals having pets in the office improves productivity, increases collaboration and helps to alleviate stress and anxiety. Among millennials, for example, 46% of respondents say having a dog in the office reduces stress. More than 60% of people in pet-friendly workplaces say they are ‘very satisfied’ with their work environment, which is almost twice as many as those in workplaces where pets are not allowed.

“We’ve had clients ask to bring their dogs in as well, and we’re more than fine with that.”

Working with animals

At Queensland-based New Wave Accounting & Business Advisory, French bulldogs Buddha, aged 11, and Bam Bam, four, are long-term office dogs. Owned by firm partners Reuben Bergola CA and Shaneel Bergola CA (pictured at the top of the story), the dogs have little in common other than their breed. 

“Bam Bam huffs and puffs and wants to play all day, so she’s currently banned from the office,” says Shaneel Bergola, adding that the firm employs about 43 animal-loving people in its Gold Coast office. 

“She’s just way too distracting. Buddha is the opposite – he sleeps under my desk most of the day and wanders out at lunchtime to see if anyone wants to give him a treat. He’s been coming to the office since he was a few years old. Sometimes, when we’re having meetings in the boardroom, Buddha comes in and sits up on one of the chairs and goes to sleep.”

Bergola says clients are fond of their office dogs and they also help attract new talent. “We’ve had clients ask to bring their dogs in as well, and we’re more than fine with that – we just get them a little water bowl,” she says. “During job interviews, we’ve had people say that they’ve seen Buddha and Bam Bam on our website, and I think it attracts them to our workplace, which is really nice.”

Other staff members at New Wave are encouraged to bring their dogs to the office. While the company does not have a formal office-dog policy, it has a roster system to reduce the chance of canine chaos.

“We’ve got a Google sheet for people to fill in when they want to bring in their dog, just to make sure that we are going to have dogs that will get along and to make sure we don’t have too many on the same day,” says Bergola. “We have a little sign on the front door with all of the dog’s profiles and we mark which dogs are in each day.”

At Masterson-based accounting firm HaglundChilds, almost any animal is welcome in the workplace. Abby Ewen CA is an associate at the firm and brings her wired-haired fox terrier, Lottie, into the office some days. Lottie is joined by Percy, who has been a presence since he was a puppy. His owner, Nathan Haglund, explains that Percy was rescued from the side of a riverbank and was adopted by the Haglund family.

“When we first brought him into the office, he could fit into the palm of your hand,” says Haglund. “Because he was rescued, we didn’t know much about his breed or how big he’d get. He’s about two now and he’s the size of a rottweiler, but we’ve tested his DNA and he’s part bullmastiff, part greyhound and there are a few other breeds in there too. The worst thing he did as a puppy was chew through a $600 connection cable.”

Before Lottie and Percy joined the HaglundChilds team, there was Kevin the cat. “We’ve had birds in here, too,” says Ewen. “We’re very relaxed. We have four staff and everyone loves animals. Our clients love them as well. We have one who is a bit scared of Percy, but he just pokes his head in the door and asks, ‘Is the dog out?’, and we put him away.”

“I think the dogs have an overall calming influence on everyone in the office.”

Part of the culture

When James Lamb CA joined Adelaide-based accounting and advisory firm RDA early this year, he became firm friends with the 10-year-old office dog Buster, an Australian shepherd. Lamb, an accounting integration manager at RDA, says his previous workplaces were not open to office dogs, but he believes that Buster positively bolsters workplace culture.

“He’s usually already here when I get in, and he lays at the front door and waits to greet everyone as they arrive,” says Lamb. “We have big windows at the front of the office and you can see where Buster’s nose has been pushed against the glass in the mornings, so that gets cleaned every single day.”

Buster has been RDA’s official office dog since he was a pup. RDA employs 10 people and doesn’t have an official workplace pet policy. To date, no other members of staff have brought a pet to the office.

“Everyone is pretty relaxed about Buster, including clients,” says Lamb. “He has access to an outdoor gated area out the back near the lunch room and he just puts his foot on the door to let people know that he wants to go out. I’ve never heard of any accidents inside the office area. I assume it probably happened when he was really young.”

At Sidekick in Christchurch, dogs are considered crucial to office culture. “When people take breaks during the day, they often take the dogs for a walk,” says Robertson. “It gives people a purpose to get away from their desk.”

While Stevie is a mature 12-year-old, Rocco is less than a year old. He’s owned by Sidekick CEO Ric Thorpe, who notes there have been only a few minor dog-related accidents in the office. “What’s the worst that can happen? So long as the dogs aren’t annoying, they’re welcome.”

Thorpe says Jimmy the Jack Russell cross will be returning to the Sidekick office when his owner finishes maternity leave.

“When we have three dogs in at the same time, they generally ignore each other,” he says. “And I think the dogs have an overall calming influence on everyone in the office.”

Pet benefits

At RDA, Buster’s job title is endearingly ‘manager of first impressions’. For Lamb, the impression is positive. 

“Without a doubt, Buster is a net positive to the office every day,” he jokes. “On stressful days, when everything needs to be done straight away, I look over at Buster, who just rolls around and sleeps when he wants and I find it really grounding. I think he’s just a good reminder to not let anything overwhelm you.”

At HaglundChilds, pets in the office has been a contributing factor to a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

“I think that everyone seems more chilled when the dogs are here,” says Haglund. “And clients generally love it too. We probably get more comments about the dogs than we do about our accounting work.”

For those considering an office pet, Lamb suggests opting for an animal with a calm nature. 

“Buster is suited perfectly for what we do,” he says. “He sleeps most of the time and then he gets a bit excited toward the end of the day because it’s close to home time, so he sparks everyone up a little bit.”

If multiple office pets is an option, Bergola suggests a roster. “I also think it’s also important to check that everyone is comfortable with dogs,” she says. “We can’t have naughty dogs in here, which is why Bam Bam now goes to doggy daycare rather than our office.”

Hagland also suggests checking with clients to ensure they are comfortable with animals.

“When I go in and out of meetings, Percy is so loyal that he follows me, so it’s pretty important to get the vibe of your clients and to put the dogs away if they’re not comfortable.”

“Most of our clients are pretty laid back,” he adds. “They say, ‘Oh, you’ve got dogs, we’ll bring ours in next time to show you.’”

Planning for an office pet? Could you have a pet-friendly workplace? Here are some points to consider.

1. Are all your employees comfortable with animals?

Some people may be uncomfortable with certain animals, such as large dogs, and some may have allergies, so it’s important you speak to all your staff before allowing pets into your workplace.

2. Is your workplace suitable and safe for pets?

For example, are cables out of reach, especially for playful puppies? Do animals have safe access to an outdoor area?

3. Have you updated workplace policies?

While formal office-pet policies may not be necessary for all workplaces, it may be worth communicating some rules, such as owner responsibilities, unacceptable animal behaviour and how many animals are allowed in the office at any one time.

4. Does your insurance cover you?

Check your insurance and lease agreement to ensure any pet-related damage is covered and that animals are welcome.