| By Bridget Foley |
It’s always a pleasure walking into work at Gale, but on June 28th, there was an exciting bonus. Take Your Dog to Work Day has been a popular company practice since 1999, when Pet Sitters International created the event. The event was invented to promote the human-animal bond and to encourage adoption from local shelters, rescue groups, and humane societies. It has been a common event hosted by different companies nationwide, and Gale is no exception!
In light of Take Your Dog to Work Day, Gale teamed up with I Heart Dogs, an organization focused on finding animals forever homes. Employees had the chance to visit adorable and adoptable dogs in the hopes that they would find a home. The organization specializes in a no-kill movement that focuses on rescuing, rehabilitating, re-homing, and providing a place of refuge for homeless dogs and survivors of animal abuse. Their amazing contributions to the animals of Michigan inspired us to want to help them out too. The employees of Gale joined together to donate items such as: laundry detergent, plastic bags, toys, dry foods, and treats! An employee’s mother was kind enough to donate homemade bone pillows and bandanas to be sold at the event, raising over $400 for I Heart Dogs!
Our work with I Heart Dogs was just a slice of the pie. Not only was it awesome to be able to pet a load of different dogs, there was also a friendly competition during lunch! Dogs of all sizes came out to the parking lot to show off their best trick and see who was the best “good boy”. Judges determined that every dog was too cute to pick just one winner, so a three-way tie was announced. After the competition, a doggie parade commenced. Nearly all 50 pups lined up for a stroll around the building to stretch and show off their best strut. PetSmart, Pet Supplies Plus, and Petco all donated different items to supply each participating pup with their own goodie-bag, filled with treats, potty bags, tennis balls, and coupons.
Overall, it was an amazing day for everyone here at Gale. It was hard to tell who was having more fun: the employees or the dogs! Another successful Take Your Dog to Work Day in the books and we look forward to more in the years to come.
Take a look at some of the fun:
About the Author
Bridget Foley is currently a student at Wayne State University and an intern at Gale. She enjoys watching movies and going on long drives with her closest friends. You can usually find her sitting out on her house patio, enjoying the company of her lovely parents.