Take Your Dog to Work Day — Interview with CUDDLY’s Director of Shelter Engagement, Samantha Marmion
This Friday is National Take Your Dog to Work Day — a celebration of having our furry friends join us in the office! At CUDDLY, it’s take your dog to work day…every day. Of course, that probably comes as no surprise since our mission is to support animal health and happiness.
In honor of the special day, I sat down with one of our Director of Shelter Engagement Samantha, who works directly with our rescue and shelter partners. She takes full advantage of the perk to bring your dog to work. So what better way to celebrate than to hear about her fur babies and why she loves taking them with her everywhere she goes.
What are your pets’ names and how old are they?
I have Dakota, a 2 year-old border collie mix and Finn, a 3 month-old Shepherd mix. I recently adopted Finn from a rescue poundWISHES helps to support! They needed fosters, so I volunteered. But once I spent time with him, I fell in love.
Can you tell us about where you got your rescue dogs, as well as their backstories?
Dakota was found with her siblings on the streets of Tecate, Mexico when she was only 5 weeks old. She was covered in ticks and had no mom in sight. The rescue went to the Tecate animal shelter and brought back the entire litter to the states. Finn was rescued by Mutt Hut Rescue from a hoarding situation in Barstow, CA. They found him, along with his 12 siblings, living in the dirt under a trailer.
Why did you choose to adopt?
I chose to adopt because I wanted to save lives. If you have never walked through an animal shelter, I highly recommend it — not to make you sad, but to educate yourself. Seeing a few shelter environments can help bring awareness to the fact that there is an extreme number of abandoned animals in need of loving homes that would otherwise be put to sleep.
Do you often bring your dogs to work?
I bring Finn in to work often because he is a puppy and cannot be left alone for long periods of time. I will bring Dakota in occasionally, but she is a little older now and would probably prefer to sleep at home all day. 🙂
Do you feel like it makes a difference being able to bring them with you?
I definitely think bringing my dogs to work positively impact my happiness and decrease my anxiety. Especially with the new puppy, it is very helpful that I am able to bring him with me to work so that I can make sure he is ok throughout the day until he is old enough to be left alone. I also think it helps the overall atmosphere in the office because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a puppy break every now and then?
What is your favorite thing to do with your dogs?
I LOVE taking my dogs to the beach or anywhere that they are free to run around and just play off leash. It brings me so much happiness to see them just be dogs, free to roam and run!
What is the funniest memory involving your pet?
When Dakota was a puppy, we left her in the house and ran to the store. We were gone for maybe 15 minutes at most. We got back and she had taken a couple rolls of toilet paper from the bathroom and shredded the rolls to pieces to the point where it looked like it snowed in the living room. We walked in the door and she immediately rolled over onto her back and started wagging her tail. She knew what she did was wrong, but it was so hard to get mad at her at that point.
What is the most rewarding thing about being a pet owner?
I believe that adopting an animal, in general, is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done and being able to be a part of their daily lives is just a bonus. They bring me so much happiness and comfort every day, and I just hope I am doing my part to be a good dog mom to them. I truly couldn’t imagine my life without them.
Allowing pets in the office lets employees have flexibility of working, while giving our furry friends companionship they might not otherwise have during the workday. We are inspired by Samantha’s passion for animals and her commitment to be the best dog mom possible. It’s always a treat when our team brings one of their fur babies in.
If your office allows pets, consider bringing your beloved friend into work with you on Friday June 22! Just maybe, you might motivate someone to find their forever friend. If you’re looking to adopt, click here to find a rescue near you.
Honorable Mentions: Bambi, Sonora, Franco, Athena, Benji, and Rubi (the CUDDLY puppy/kitty crew)
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