Take Your Dog to Work Day - Dakin Edition

National Take Your Dog to Work Day is on June 24th. While this is an exciting annual treat for humans and their canine companions, many staff members at Dakin have the unique privilege of bringing their dogs to work EVERY day.

Kayla - Human Resources Manager

I started working at Dakin in 2015 with my 6-month-old Golden Retriever puppy, Cooper. Six-and-a-half years later, here we are, getting a little grayer in the face (thankfully the dog, not me), but still enjoying every minute! I always tell people I wish more employers would allow dogs in the workplace. It brings people together, makes employees happier, and we get to be with our companions all day. Cooper loves entertaining guests who visit our office by grabbing a toy out of his basket and showing them off! I love the fact that if I'm having a stressful day, Cooper will come put his head on my lap and it truly turns my day around.

Kaitlyn - Community Engagement Manager

My role at Dakin is to grow connections in our community and involve individuals, groups and businesses in the meaningful work we do on behalf of animals and people. I absolutely love being able to bring my dog, River, to work with me! River is a great companion in the office, she especially loves all the treats and toys I buy her from Dakin's thrift store. She provides some laughs with her silly mischief (like de-stuffing her toys all over the room). She also makes sure to remind me when I need a Zoom break! Outside of work, River is my sidekick. We hike together, bike together, and run together. River always thinks I'm going too slow and gives me a little sleddog encouragement.

Sarah - Admissions & Capacity Coordinator

I've worked at Dakin for over six years as an Animal Resource Counselor and have recently taken on the role of Admissions and Capacity Coordinator. My 7-year-old chihuahua, Hazel, comes to work with me almost every day! While she does not stay in my office (she's bad at first impressions and can be quite barky), this allows me to offer my office to shelter dogs who need a quiet place to relax during their stay here. Hazel often accompanies me, other staff, and their dogs on our lunch breaks outside. Despite her barking at, well, just about everyone, everyone loves her and says how cute she is! I couldn't agree more.

Sam - Veterinary Technician

My role is to support our amazing veterinary technicians and veterinarians as well as provide intake exams for animals entering the shelter. This is their first step into Dakin’s care where we assess if they need further medical or behavioral attention. I am fortunate to bring my dog Buffalo with me twice a week. I adopted him from Dakin as an eight-week-old puppy. He has grown up with every staff member and it has been awesome to see him socialize with others. He has a few staff favorites but he loves to give everyone a quick sniff and take a cookie if you have one. He has also had the pleasure of meeting other staff pets and they love to have lunch together when the weather is nice. He has been a great emotional support for me at the end of a long day- he's always so happy to give a quick kiss and squeeze before we go home.

Stacey - Director of Development & Marketing

I started working at Dakin five years ago and Lil' One is my frequent workplace companion. He loves coming to work just as much as I love having him here. I feel fortunate that I can bring him to work and he is allowed to accompany me because I truly see it as an additional benefit to have him by my side. Not only do I not feel guilty leaving him at home on long days, but his zen-like presence is calming. My favorite part is being able to look at him throughout the day which just brings a smile to my face because I know it's equally enjoyable for him too. He gets to greet different people (sometimes dogs), and smell a wide variety of smells. His favorite part of the day is going to meetings. I can say "meeting time” and he knows exactly where to go. He gets a little hop in his step and heads down the hallway, stops right at our conference room door, hops on a chair, and takes his seat at the table among our team.

Serena - Donor Database Specialist

I started working at Dakin about 3 years ago as our Donor Database Specialist. I generally work on maintaining our databases, balancing our fundraising with our finance department, and automating smaller tasks to explore new ideas on program growth or future goals of the organization.

My sidekick here is Oscar! I adopted Oscar from Dakin in 2020. Oscar is my first dog, so I'm very happy to spend as much time with him as I can. He's a joy to have around when the work gets tough and you need a good hug. Since I tend to work at my desk a lot, he will remind me when it's time for a break and step into the sunlight for a good sniff of fresh air. I will say he can be very demanding of attention and loves when anyone walks by my office for a quick pet session. While in the building, we have a lot of opportunities to practice our training, which helps me learn a lot more about dogs in general. Seeing the smile on the faces of others when they see Oscar really makes my day.

Debbie - Finance Coordinator

I'm the Finance Coordinator and my boys were both adopted through Dakin. Rudy has been with me for 9 years and Mookie for 6. They LOVE to come to work with me and are quite disappointed when they have to stay home. They enjoy visitors and looking out the big office window as there is always something going on outside.