Hmmm, the roles being reversed would mean B was a total tool who let her “beloved” pet wander unsupervised in an area where doors randomly open to an unsecured outdoor area, against the rules, all common sense, and all consideration for the welfare of the dog or the needs and desires of her coworkers. If B were indeed such a tool, I suppose she just might like for someone to take total responsibility for keeping the dog indoors. (You can’t say “helping” if the person you’re supposedly helping is doing not the first damn thing.) But you can’t automatically assume that a reasonable person would have any such expectation, so it’s a bit much to trot out the “we’re trying to have a society here” argument.
Now, if it were a situation where the dog had broken loose from A and she were frantically chasing it down the hall yelling for help, I’d agree with you that B was being a prat to just watch the dog leave the building without lifting a finger.
I have a co-worker who occasionally brings her dog to the office with her, but this is only on vet appointment days because the office is significantly closer to the vet than her home is. However, the dog stays in her office for the most part, is quiet and well-trained, and we’re a VERY laid-back office. I mean, they even let me bring my teenager in on a regular basis last year…
Not really, to me its pretty much irrelevant how much of a tool A is when a living creature is involved. Personally I would probably have stopped the dog from escaping through the external door, and then escorted it back to A for suitable (but given my personality) very mild scolding on how she should be more careful with the mutt. Again, just because A is a tool, doesn’t mean I want the dog wandering the streets or getting run down.
If I had been watching A complain to B that the dog should have been stopped I would have sided with B and scolded A… (am I screwed up or what?)
Do customers ever come to the office? Prospective clients?
Not sure how how I would feel if I came by and saw a dog in the office. Or smelled a bog in the office. Or saw signs that a dog had chewed or did his business in the office.
I’m glad that the dog wasn’t injured, this time. But it’s only a matter of time before its owner allows it into a dangerous situation. She needs to make sure that the dog is safe, just like a parent needs to make sure a baby/toddler/child is safe, and she should not expect other people (other than petsitters) to watch her pet. And no parent should expect other people (except for babysitters) to watch their offspring.
I’d go with a couple of candid pup shots near Big Boss’s desk, dated, as someone suggested. A series of shots, dated, possibly with Big Boss’s schedule noted, might be even better.
I LOVE dogs, and most animals in fact, and I enjoy going into shops and seeing that a well-behaved animal or two are in residence. I probably wouldn’t pet a tarantual, but I could probably appreciate it doing its hairy spidery things in its spidery cage. I appreciate that some people are allergic to pet dander, and some just don’t like animals, and so having animals in retail places isn’t going to be terribly common, but I do enjoy those shops that have someone bringing in a well-behaved dog, or have a shop cat. However, the owner STILL needs to be responsible for the safety of the animals, and still needs to make sure that the animal isn’t bugging people.
I like dogs OK…and one of my coworkers occasionally brings her dog in. But it really is occasionally, and I am always impressed at how well-behaved they are.
I don’t mind watching the one, because she literally will lay down next to my desk and go to sleep. The other one is kind of a whiny girl, and so I am never even asked or expected to watch her - that is a good dog owner.
Co-workers often bring their pets in to where I work but I work at a vet clinic. They are expected to watch their own pets (unless it’s actually sick and hospitalized or boarding) and they can’t wander loose if there are clients in the building, which is most of the time.
In Skald’s case, I think I would escort the dog back to co-workers office and shut her door. I’d probably also had her a roll of paper towels and cleaner and let her know the location of all the messes the dog left.
It amazes me how employees will do things like this when the boss is away and then think they can abuse it to the extreme and it will never get back to the big boss.
What if B had a dog phobia or dislike of dogs? I can be around dogs, but I don’t particularly like them. I certainly wouldn’t just go and grab an unfamiliar dog’s collar to prevent it from going out a door, or hold the door shut while a large dog is pawing/pushing at it. I would tell the owner ASAP, but I wouldn’t feel any particular need to put myself at any risk of injury or discomfort to protect someone else’s dog.
When my sister worked for PetSmart corporate, every Friday you were allowed to bring your dog (or cat, although that was rare) to work. If you had a puppy or a dog with separation anxiety, you were allowed to bring them any time. Living in the office you could keep reptiles, snakes, birds, fish or rodents. Apparently it worked out fine for everyone.
Replacements, Ltd. is a company that buys and sells replacement pieces for china, silver and glassware. All their employees, even those working in the warehouse, are allowed to have their dogs at work.
Meh. We have a laid back office and occasionally bring dogs to work. But usually if we have some need to.
While worker A should have kept the dog in here office (if that’s the rule). Coworker B is an asshole for not trying to stop the dog or at the VERY least letting A know the dog got out.
Strange coincidence. I read this thread before I left work yesterday. While I was getting into my car I spotted a little dachshund walking around in the company’s parking lot (I park in the 3rd sub-basement level). It seemed rather old but went walking around for quite a while.
After some time, a security guard showed up and tried to coax the dog to the upper levels (I tried to help) but the little guy just wouldn’t do it. Even though it had a collar I couldn’t manage to grab it (it snapped at me).
Last I saw it, it was walking up the ramp to the next level.
What could/should I have done? (I told the security guard at the exit the dog had gone up a floor).
That doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. My husband is violently allergic to anything with fur - it puts the onus on him as an employee to protest about a workplace that will make him sick, instead of the workplace assuming that there will be allergic people (since animal allergies are extremely common) and not allowing it in the first place.
I work for an environmental engineering firm and we’re allowed to bring our dogs to work. If someone makes a complaint about your dog, you’re asked to leave it home. In 5+ years I’ve only seen one dog banned, the rest are quiet, well behaved, and smell just fine. Clients do sometimes come to our office and in my observation are either charmed or take no notice of a few dogs running around.
We watch and walk each other’s dogs and it’s all hunky dory but we’re all in compliance w/ company policy. Skald’s coworker is abusing a privilege and she knows it.
I’ve got the same issue with airlines allowing pets in the cabins. I’m mildly allergic to cats and dogs. I’ve got a friend that is very allergic. I really don’t want to spend my day in an antihistamine haze because someone brought their pet into the office or the plane.
I don’t have a problem with Petsmart allowing dogs and cats even into their corporate offices. I would love to keep a reptile at my desk, for example. I mean, you’re working for Petsmart, corporate office or not, presumably you’re an animal lover and/or know you will be dealing with animals at some point.
The Replacement Ltd. one sounds like a terrible idea, though. In general animals should not be at the workplace, and doubly so if you are selling replacement glassware and china. I have seen what a too-enthusiastic Lab tail can do.
