English springer spaniel Breezy enjoying office life at Landcorp Farming Limited. Photo / Supplied
English springer spaniel Breezy enjoying office life at Landcorp Farming Limited. Photo / Supplied
One Wellington office negotiated a no-pet clause out of its tenancy agreement so employees’ dogs could join them at work, while another office has created online staff profiles for some of their pooches.
This week, the Herald revealed Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau’s dog Teddy might have to be sentto live in Levin with her sister after his visits to the office were found to be in breach of the council’s tenancy agreement.
Pāmu Landcorp Farming Limited posted on LinkedIn they were “paw-sitively” shocked by the news Teddy had got the boot from the mayoral office.
The state-owned enterprise made sure no-pet clauses were removed from the tenancy agreement for its Wellington office.
Chief executive Mark Leslie told the Herald crates were available so dogs could relax in their own space and staff could attend meetings.
“There is a water bowl in the kitchen and owners take dogs outside to the toilet. In regard to issues with animals, we’ve only had one, and that was due to a lamb’s inability to be toilet-trained. Though very cute, lambs are now actively discouraged in our Wellington office.”
Leslie said farm dogs were an integral part of teams out in the field.
“They are in and out of our working offices around the country, so it made sense for our people and their dogs in Wellington to have the same privileges.”
Leslie’s executive assistant Meredith Fenwick said she couldn’t imagine working in an environment where she couldn’t bring her dog Goldie to the office for a couple of days a week.
Mana Communications has created staff member profiles for three dogs because they are very much considered a part of the team.
Heading dog/border collie mix Blake is listed as branch manager, golden retriever Suki is head of ‘barketing’, and border collie Billy is the lead manager.
Mana Communications has created staff member profiles for some of their dogs. Photo / Supplied
Mana Communications managing director Caleb Hulme-Moir said they have moved offices several times, and being able to bring dogs in has always been a non-negotiable.
“It’s good for the dogs to not be left at home all day. Importantly, it’s a great mood booster for our team because the dogs break up the day with a bit of fetch and fun, and offer an opportunity to get out for team walks during the day.”
Dogs are required to be well-trained and well-behaved and owners are mindful of them in shared spaces, Hulme-Moir said.
“They bring a lot to our team. Blake gets everyone up and moving for a game of fetch every so often, and Suki is always up to offer cuddles as a bit of stress relief.
“They’re arguably the most important members of our team, even if they aren’t the greatest taskmasters.”
TradeMe chief people officer Annie Brown said the company welcomed dogs to their Wellington and Christchurch offices for a visit. Dogs are not allowed in the Auckland office due to the lease agreement.
Oscar on a recent visit to Trade Me's Wellington office. Photo / Supplied
“However, our first priority is ensuring that all our people are comfortable in their workspace, and we know that some are allergic to animals so we ask that these visits are kept short,” Brown said.
“We have a very active ‘office pups’ Slack channel where more than 200 of our people share images and stories about their four-legged friends.”
Dogs are welcome at Parliament, where the Wellington mayor previously worked as chief of staff for the Greens.
There is no formal policy, but the Speaker of the House is the landlord of Parliament and can provide guidance on whether dogs are allowed.
The previous Speaker, Trevor Mallard, was happy for staff and MPs to bring their dogs to work as long as those working in the immediate area were happy.
The owner must be responsible for the dog at all times, especially for any mess created. Dogs are not allowed in eating areas like Copperfields Cafe.
This guidance has been continued by current Speaker Adrian Rurawhe.
Cabinet Minister Kieran McAnulty often brings his greyhound Zoi to the office.
She often gets cuddles, walks and even a few under-the-table snacks, he said.
“I feel really lucky that Parliament allows dogs in the building. When people need a bit of a breather, they often pop in and ask if they can take her for a walk. My staff are all very happy to have her in the office, and she definitely brings us lots of smiles.”
I was in Christchurch today at the Local Government New Zealand conference.
Zoi, who isn’t allowed on the office couch, sniffed an opportunity.
Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
