PART OF THE COMMUNITY
Like many SPCA staff, chief executive Christine Kalin takes her ex-rescue dog Venus the ridgeback to work most days.
‘‘We see animals as integral members of our community.
‘‘We would love to have a world where animals are part of everyday life.’’
Kalin recommends taking your dog to the office.
‘‘Not only is that beneficial to them, but there’s also the wonderful effect that animals have on workplaces.
‘‘Animals become a point of engagement by their very loving and non-judgmental natures.
‘‘That also increases human to human engagement.’’
Research shows animals at work have a positive effect on staff, reducing stress and increasing job satisfaction and production. A Virginia Commonwealth University study published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management in 2012 compared employees who brought their dogs to work, employees who did not and employees without pets.
Measuring stress, job satisfaction, and support, the study found stress declined for workers with their dogs present and increased for those who did not.