Bring your “kids” to work….every day

We are a staff of 8 – 1 President, 1 Office Manager, 3 Senior Account Execs, 3 Junior Account Coordinators.  But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the other creatures that share our office space, contribute to the noise level, and make us laugh with their antics. 

I’m talking, of course, about our office dogs.   Three to be exact, who are all here on a fairly regular basis and make this office a very interesting place to work. 

Yes, Caster Communications is a dog-friendly environment.  (I’d say pet-friendly, but the presence of cats would probably make many of us sadly very sneezy.)  We have an open floorplan, a doggie door that leads to a fenced in courtyard, and a tolerant boss who laughs when someone has an “acccident” on the conference room rug.  Allow me to introduce our furry friends:

This is Layla.  The newest addition to our staff, she was recently adopted by Lauren and her fiance and accompanies her to the office every so often.  Layla is a shy and timid girl, only allowing herself to be a few feet from her mom at all times.  According to Lauren, she is a mutt in every sense and her one floppy ear is so very cute.  Layla plays well with the other dogs but does tend to growl if the smallest of the bunch stares at her toy for too long.  It’s not really an intimidating growl, just a warning to the curious pup – This is MINE.  Just so we’re clear. 

 

This little girl is Smokey, the youngest pup in our office and arguably the source of most of our amusement.  Smokey belongs to Miss Katie, who began bringing her in when she was teeny-tiny, only 3 lbs.  Being a puppy, Smokey tends to create mischief wherever she goes, usually in the form of a torn up pamphlet from the mail, a half-eaten sidewalk chalk, or a de-potted plant (twice the size of her!) from the kitchen.  It’s not uncommon for someone to find a little “present” from Smokey in various parts of the office, though she is getting better about waiting to do her business outside.  Though i’s hard to be mad – she is the cutest puppy you could ever meet.  Always excited to see everyone who comes in, her energy is seemingly endless.  She adores Mattie (see below) and follows her wherever she goes, much to Mattie’s dismay.  She’s grown so much since she first arrived, however – weighing in at a hefty 9 lbs today!   (Notice the product plug – Smokey loves her high-end tech!)

Last but not least, meet our original Caster mascot, Miss Mattie.  Mattie belongs to Kim, founder and owner of Caster, forever making her top dog.  Mattie, short for Matilda, is one of the sweetest pups you will ever meet and has been a good sport in the recent introduction of two other dogs in her territory.  She does tend to escape to the courtyard whenever Smokey refuses to detach herself from Mattie’s neck (Smokey is still too little to push the doggie door open) but tolerates her new little pal.  Mattie is generally quiet and good natured but without fail will bark at the UPS/Fed Ex/mailman every time he walks through the door.   The only time Mattie becomes sad and forlorn is when Kim travels, and the very weight of Kim’s absence is almost too much for Mattie to bear.  She mopes about, visiting each cubicle in hopes that perhaps Kim is hiding in there. 

So now you know our canine friends and perhaps get a sense of how zoo-like it can feel around here at times.  I really can’t imagine our office without them and every time I get the urge to buy a puppy, I am reminded at how awesome it is that I can bring him/her to work!  And then someone finds puppy poop on the floor, and the feeling slowly disappears.  🙂