Originally posted by PammyK
First of all, I really hope this "take your dog to work" thing was a joke.
If not then, I'm sorry, but unless you work in a veterinarian's office, a pet grooming facility, a pet supply store or some other type of business having to do with dogs/animals it is completely inappropriate to bring your dogs to work. No matter whether you choose to refer to them as your "fur baby" or some other cutesy moniker, pets do not belong in most workplaces.
Furthermore, it seems to be a discriminatory practice - what about people whose pets are parakeets or cats or snakes or horses or goldfish? Were they allowed to bring their pets to work?
Regarding whether the woman who has a fear of dogs should have had to use a vacation day - I say absolutely not. Unless it was made clear to her when she was hired that there would occasionally be dogs present in the workplace, she should not have to spend her vacation time to avoid them because of some ridiculous "take your dog to work" event. What if it wasn't a fear of dogs but a severe allergy to dogs? Should she have had to use a vacation day if she chose not to expose herself to a potentially dangerous allergic reaction?
And yes, I recognize that there are some dogs who truly are service dogs who help people who are visually impaired or need a companion dog to function and these are an exception. However, if your dog is NOT a trained (or in training) service dog, then leave them at home.
Finally, I'm sure there are people who are going to brand me as a dog hater or something. That could not be further from the truth. I love dogs and cats and other animals. Heck, I even talk to the horses at work every day. But, that doesn't mean that they need to go everywhere their owners go.
