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C6 | Friday, June 15, 2012 | The Union | Section C Keeping employees happy is one of the main reasons cited by employers. “Engineering and software companies are often the type of company that is pet-friendly,” Kain said. “These companies have trouble finding people with the skills they need and do not want to lose these employees.” Extrovertic, a health care communications agency with 40 employees and offices in New York City and Cambridge, Mass., tested the waters last year with Take Your Dog to Work Day. On June 22 this year, it was sponsored by North Carolina- based Pet Sitters International to promote adoption. The experiment was so suc- cessful that the company went dog-friendly and Sally, a 5-year- old rescue beagle owned by supervising account manager Jared Shechtman, became Take Your Dog to Work Day’s poster dog. “We are a small agency. We want to be different. We want the quality of our employees’ lives to be better than they would get at a bigger agency. Having dogs in the office is another way of saying, ‘We are different and we care about you,’” said company CEO Dorothy Wetzel. Fifteen to 20 of the 120 employees or freelancers work- ing at Authentic Entertainment bring their dogs to work, said co-founder and executive pro- ducer Lauren Lexton. Lexton and Tom Rogan decided to let people bring dogs to work when they founded the company 11 years ago, because “it always felt right. Dogs give a softer element to everyday work and there is something about having them around that makes people happy.” When you have great peo- ple, you want to keep them forever, she explained, so if they have a dog that’s used to coming to work, the person is less likely to accept a better job offer if it comes along. Having animals around also encourages camaraderie, McCormack said. “Dogs auto- matically break down barriers. They are automatic conversation starters and ice breakers.” Not every business can allow dogs, said Kain, who start- ed DogFriendly.com with his wife Tara 15 years ago in Anchor Point, Alaska. Companies may be located in buildings that ban dogs; it can be illegal for a food store, restau- rant, hair salon (in some states) or medical office; and insurance may be a barrier, he said. For others, allowing pets may be a way to help make do with fewer employees working longer hours. “By allowing dogs at work, an employee doesn’t have to leave to take care of the pet,” Kain said. At Authentic Entertain- ment, Dolly’s biggest hurdle was deliverymen. “She has always had a fear of carts and boxes and people in uniform,” McCormack said. She introduced Dolly to Authentic’s maintenance man, and because Dolly still barked and growled at outside delivery- men, McCormack asked for a heads-up call from the front desk when they arrived. Now she puts Dolly in her lap until the deliveries are fin- ished. Problem solved. Dolly’s favorite part of coming to work is the attention, McCormack said. At home, she plays second-fiddle to a 3-year- old. At work, Dolly is Miss November in a calendar featur- ing employee dogs as characters on their shows. “She is the toast of the town,” McCormack said. “Everybody knows her and she is the star.” DOGS: Continued from C1 Verizon Wireless received the highest numerical score among full service wireless providers in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Vol. 2-2012 Vol 1. Wireless Customer Care Full Service Studies SM . 2012 Vol. 2 study based on responses from 9,098 consumers measuring 4 full service wireless providers and measures opinions of consumers who contacted customer care within the past year. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed July–December 2011. Your experience may vary. Visit jdpower.com. Activation/upgrade fee/line: Up to $35. IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to Cust. Agmt, Calling Plan, rebate form & credit approval. Up to $350 early termination fee/line & add’l charges apply to device capabilities. Offers & coverage, varying by svc, not available everywhere; see vzw.com. Limited-time offer. Restocking fee may apply. Rebate debit card takes up to 6 wks & expires in 12 months. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. 4G LTE is available in more than 200 cities in the U.S. DROID is a trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. and its related companies. Used under license. In CA: Sales tax based on full retail price of phone. © 2012 Verizon Wireless. F0175 ENJOY SUPERIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE “Highest Ranked Customer Service Performance among Full Service Wireless Providers,” according to J.D. Power and Associates. $ 100 OFF HURRY IN AND GET ANY 4G LTE MOTOROLA SMARTPHONE NOW THROUGH JUNE 17. New 2-yr. activation & data pak req’d. WITH A VERIZON SMARTPHONE. Video chat. One more way the whole family wins when you give them a smartphone with more 4G LTE coverage than all other networks combined. DROID 4 by MOTOROLA Get the best of messaging and photo sharing all in one with LiveShare. NOW ONLY $ 99 99 $199.99 2-yr. price – $50 instant savings – $50 mail-in rebate debit card. DROID RAZR by MOTOROLA (16 GB) Use video chat to update the whole family with no delay on 4G LTE. NOW ONLY $ 99 99 $199.99 2-yr. price – $50 instant savings – $50 mail-in rebate debit card. AP photo Bebe, a mix, sits at her owner’s desk while she works at Authentic Entertainment in Burbank.
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Page 1: GENERAL-EX.3-C006-GVU-06152012

C6 | Friday, June 15, 2012 | The Union | Section C

Keeping employees happyis one of the main reasons citedby employers.

“Engineering and softwarecompanies are often the type ofcompany that is pet-friendly,”Kain said. “These companieshave trouble finding people withthe skills they need and do notwant to lose these employees.”

Extrovertic, a health carecommunications agency with 40employees and offices in NewYork City and Cambridge,Mass., tested the waters last yearwith Take Your Dog to Work

Day. On June 22 this year, it wassponsored by North Carolina-based Pet Sitters Internationalto promote adoption.

The experiment was so suc-cessful that the company wentdog-friendly and Sally, a 5-year-old rescue beagle owned bysupervising account managerJared Shechtman, became TakeYour Dog to Work Day’s posterdog.

“We are a small agency. Wewant to be different. We wantthe quality of our employees’lives to be better than theywould get at a bigger agency.Having dogs in the office is

another way of saying, ‘We aredifferent and we care aboutyou,’” said company CEODorothy Wetzel.

Fifteen to 20 of the 120employees or freelancers work-ing at Authentic Entertainmentbring their dogs to work, saidco-founder and executive pro-ducer Lauren Lexton.

Lexton and Tom Rogandecided to let people bring dogsto work when they founded thecompany 11 years ago, because“it always felt right. Dogs give asofter element to everyday workand there is something abouthaving them around that makespeople happy.”

When you have great peo-ple, you want to keep themforever, she explained, so if theyhave a dog that’s used to comingto work, the person is less likelyto accept a better job offer if itcomes along.

Having animals around alsoencourages camaraderie,McCormack said. “Dogs auto-matically break down barriers.They are automatic conversationstarters and ice breakers.”

Not every business canallow dogs, said Kain, who start-ed DogFriendly.com with hiswife Tara 15 years ago inAnchor Point, Alaska.

Companies may be locatedin buildings that ban dogs; it canbe illegal for a food store, restau-rant, hair salon (in some states)or medical office; and insurancemay be a barrier, he said.

For others, allowing petsmay be a way to help make dowith fewer employees workinglonger hours. “By allowing dogsat work, an employee doesn’thave to leave to take care of thepet,” Kain said.

At Authentic Entertain-ment, Dolly’s biggest hurdle wasdeliverymen. “She has alwayshad a fear of carts and boxes andpeople in uniform,”McCormack said.

She introduced Dolly toAuthentic’s maintenance man,and because Dolly still barkedand growled at outside delivery-men, McCormack asked for aheads-up call from the frontdesk when they arrived.

Now she puts Dolly in herlap until the deliveries are fin-ished. Problem solved.

Dolly’s favorite part ofcoming to work is the attention,McCormack said. At home, sheplays second-fiddle to a 3-year-old. At work, Dolly is MissNovember in a calendar featur-ing employee dogs as characterson their shows.

“She is the toast of thetown,” McCormack said.“Everybody knows her and sheis the star.”

DOGS:Continued from C1

Verizon Wireless received the highest numerical score among full service wireless providers in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Vol. 2-2012 Vol 1. Wireless Customer Care Full Service StudiesSM. 2012 Vol. 2 study based on responsesfrom 9,098 consumers measuring 4 full service wireless providers and measures opinions of consumers who contacted customer care within the past year. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyedJuly–December 2011. Your experience may vary. Visit jdpower.com.Activation/upgrade fee/line: Up to $35.IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to Cust. Agmt, Calling Plan, rebate form & credit approval. Up to $350 early termination fee/line & add’l charges apply to device capabilities. Offers & coverage, varying by svc, not availableeverywhere; see vzw.com. Limited-time offer. Restocking fee may apply. Rebate debit card takes up to 6 wks & expires in 12 months. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. 4G LTE is available in more than 200 cities in the U.S. DROID is a trademark of LucasfilmLtd. and its related companies. Used under license. In CA: Sales tax based on full retail price of phone. © 2012 Verizon Wireless. F0175

ENJOY SUPERIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE “Highest Ranked Customer Service Performance among Full Service Wireless Providers,” according to J.D. Power and Associates.

$100 OFFHURRY IN AND GET

ANY 4G LTE MOTOROLA SMARTPHONENOW THROUGH JUNE 17.

New 2-yr. activation & data pak req’d.

WITH A VERIZON SMARTPHONE.Video chat. One more way the whole family wins when you give them a

smartphone with more 4G LTE coverage than all other networks combined.

DROID 4 by MOTOROLAGet the best of messaging and

photo sharing all in one with LiveShare.

NOWONLY

$9999$199.99 2-yr. price – $50 instant savings –

$50 mail-in rebate debit card.

DROID RAZR byMOTOROLA (16 GB)Use video chat toupdate the whole familywith no delay on 4G LTE.

NOWONLY

$9999$199.99 2-yr. price – $50 instant savings –

$50 mail-in rebate debit card.

AP photo

Bebe, a mix, sits at her owner’s desk while she works at Authentic Entertainment in Burbank.