@GoSquirrels

Men’s Health: “Best Cities for Dogs”

Photo Courtesy: Susan Lazear

Richmond didn’t make the cut.  In fact, on a list of 100 cities, ranging from best (1) to worst (100), Richmond wasn’t anywhere on the radar.  Yet, I’ve got a ticket for me and my maltipoo to the Flying Squirrels’ Bark in the Park Night this evening.  Baseball and man’s best friend—it might not get any better than that.  Maybe Men’s Health should add “things to do with your dog” to their rating index.

Here’s their formula:

Crunch the per capita numbers of dog parks, dog-friendly apartments, vets, animal shelters, and pet stores and services, along with the percentage of dog owners. Finally, we factored in state laws against animal cruelty, dog fighting, and puppy mills.

Virginia cities that did make the list: Chesapeake got a B-, Virginia Beach was rated C+.  Ouch.

Number one ranked: Portland, Oregon.  That’s an interesting find as Portland prides itself on a highly-regarded pro-cycling community and healthy lifestyles.  With Richmond’s rising grassroots and grasstops for cycling distinction, rallied behind the anticipated Richmond 2015 World Road Cycling Championships, I believe we share similar healthy habit characteristics to Portland.  And “Men’s Health” clearly cares about the healthy lifestyle aspects.

Captain Obvious: Dogs encourage a healthy lifestyle.  For economic development purposes from the business standpoint, a community that supports a healthy lifestyle is a draw for companies looking to relocate.  Businesses like to invest in wellness.  So while we invest in cycling as a healthy habit, we should continue to promote the health qualities of a dog-friendly community like Portland.

The concept of Richmond landing in ratings like this one actually has legs.  We just need to amp-up action and perception.

To Do:

• Repair my beach cruiser’s wicker basket so Jack (the maltipoo) can ride shotgun.
• Email Men’s Health to make sure they know about the RVA dog edge.

I’ll let you know if I hear back.

See: Best Cities for Dogs, Men’s Health – September 2012 issue

Birch Box for Fido

Groupon – BarkBox

UPDATE: PUT PAW IN MOUTH.  We have a business right here in RVA that delivers the same service but gives you more bang for your buck by supporting locally: Wag-in-the-Box.  Please check them out. 

A friend of mine gave me a subscription to Birch Box for my birthday.  Each month, a pink parcel arrives in my mailbox with a surprise mix of luxurious samples—it might be high-end perfume, organic power bars, rich mascara, or some new product that I didn’t know existed or needed but it’s splendid either way.  And I LOVE it.  In the daily grind it’s a nice surprise.  Well, today’s Groupon deal is a doggie version:  BarkBox.  That’s right.  Birch Box for dogs.

No need to Google, I have the Groupon URL for you here: http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-subscription-barkbox?c=all&p=3  Or go directly to BarkBox: https://barkbox.com/

Dog-friendly offices make it to the finals!

K9s are practically on the payroll at Create Digital and Wolfgang Jasper Photography, and both are in the finalist round of “Best Office in RVA,” sponsored by Work It, Richmond.

The American Humane Association shares the benefits of a dog-welcoming work space:

• Staff morale and worker productivity (up!)
• Increased camaraderie (high paw!)
• Happier employees = enhanced job performance (bring home the bones)
• Increased sales reported by store owners who take their dogs to work (cha-ching)
• Dogs can serve as a crime deterrent (nod to McGruff the Crime Dog)

The American Pet Products Association reports that one in five companies in the U.S. allow pets in the workplace.  With “ruff” times and cutbacks in employee perks, offering a dog-friendly work space can have tremendous positive effects that won’t touch your budget.

Did you know corporate offices at Amazon and Google allow dogs at work?  And they’re bottom line is lookin’ good.

Photo courtesy of Well at Work, blog.

I know firsthand, when the office gets a little dark and the noise level fades with the exception of a murmured vacuum somewhere on the seventh floor, I cringe at my clock knowing that my dog is at home on standby, snotty nose pressed against the front window, eagerly waiting my return.  I did sneak him into the office once—a la bulky tote bag.  It was as if he knew exactly what I was up to as he perched quietly on my rolling stool (those short filing cabinets topped with a cushion for seating in impromptu cubicle meetings).  It didn’t hurt to have a bag of treats squirreled away in my purse.  The point is: I felt at ease staying late, relieved of any anxiety that my pup was agonizing for a potty break and the dinner morsels on special.  I had my sidekick, and we plowed through projects.

If you know of a business that might consider creating a dog-friendly space, check out Dogs at Work: A Practical Guide to Creating Dog-Friendly Workplaces

While a judge’s panel will call the shots in the finalist round, it couldn’t hurt to brew some noise from dog-friendly RVA.  I encourage you to comment on the feature article this week: The Best Office in RVA finalists.

Vote this week for the dog-friendly work space

This week, RVAers have a chance to vote for the best office space around in a local contest presented by the small business solution center: Work It, Richmond.  One of the contenders, Wolfgang Jasper Photography, boasts a dog-friendly work environment!

Life is made better in this office due to the canine interaction. Dogs are photographed, and employees are welcome to bring their own to work with them. Work spaces are continued atop dog crates and dog beds, which occupy nooks in the office for our four-legged employees.”

Wolfgang Jasper Photography – Source: Work It, Richmond

Wolfgang Jasper Photography is located in the Stony Point Fashion Park (read: chic mall), that offers an environment akin to pet-friendly businesses across the pond.  This dog-welcoming practice is something that RVA Muttropolis will advocate for replication in other areas of the city.

I have a few friends on the line up, including one that has a stunning space in The Fan that is home to furry mascots: Alliance Group.  Though it is not described in the spirit of the contest, I encourage you to check them out, too.

VOTE NOW!  The survey closes at 5:00 p.m. this Friday, August 17.

Citron pour le chien

I make it a point to hunt down authentic chocolate croissants on my travels, and made no omission during my British West Indies trip last week.  I managed to find Lemon, a European coffee shop (Turks and Caicos has a little French flair – love it!), in the Regent Village on Grace Bay.  While I was ooo-ing and ahh-ing at the combination of pastries and fresh cut flowers, I noticed through the window what looked to be a golden retriever catching a water break by the front door.  What is more, there were paw prints in the sidewalk.  Charming!  I went back the next day.

From Pupcakes to Potcakes – Muttropolis goes to Turks and Caicos

Locals, or “belongers,” as they refer to themselves, on the Caribbean island of Providenciales (Provo for short) in Turks and Caicos, used to take the leftovers caked on their dinner pots, mash them together and toss them to the street to feed the stray dogs.  The strays accordingly took on the name: “Potcake Pups.”  It is estimated that at a given time there are upwards of 2,000 wild dogs on the island that is only 38 square miles.  Many of them were in the past euthanized or worse.

I met David at the Provo airport Sunday as I was ending a glorious weekend at a dear friend’s wedding, blissfully unaware of what’s dishing stateside.  The adorable puppy nestled in his arms caught my eye, and as a typical dog-lover, I cooed.  David was eager to share his story and I am just as eager to do the same.

David with his Potcake Pup

David was not a belonger; he was a traveler like myself, with his partner who is a successful attorney on Wall Street.  I was surprised to learn that the puppy was not his; he was a rescue who David was transporting to a family that was on the road to meet him at JFK.  See, on the last day of David’s first trip to Turks and Caicos a few years ago, he discovered Potcakes Place—a rescue and adoption center on the island—and decided to stop by.  He fell in love with the cause and the pups, but like many tourists who stumble on the organization at the tail end of their vacation, he didn’t have the ability to take such a precious carry on.  So he was encouraged by Potcake Place to think about it, consult with his family, a vet, and then make the decision whether to adopt.  He is now a proud Potcake dad and occasionally returns to the island.

For a charity with no budget, Potcake Place relies on vacationers who volunteer to serve as caring couriers—known as Potcake guardian angels.  Families looking to adopt are connected to travelers originating from the same city.  Nearly 500 adoptions have been made since 2006.  Potcakes waiting for adoption stay with foster families who regularly socialize the dogs with each other and people on the exotic beaches of Provo.  If you go, Potcake Place will bring pups up for adoption to your resort for a play date.

After a sensational weekend, I found it hard to imagine heading back to reality.  But once I met David, I was ecstatic to witness palpable splendor and selfless service.  Us wedding-goers cheers-ed on our last day to making the trip an annual function.  If we do, I just might try this next time.  There are always dogs waiting on standby, and according to the Potcake Place website, only 11 adoptions have come from Virginia.  Let’s step it up RVA!