SPECIAL REPORT
Barb Belna and her daughter, Chris Belna, with their dogs, Bella (left) and Bailey. Chris Belna owns A La Carte Business Services and Arete HCM Solutions in Syracuse.
Trending: Pets in the Workplace Small business owners say having pets in the workplace raises morale, customer engagement By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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irst-time shoppers at DeVine Designs by Gail in Fulton expect to see floral arrangements by owner Gail Jones and an array of gift items. What they likely don’t expect is a greeting from Kooper and Kali, her great Danes or Mia, her Boston terrier. “Kooper has more fans than I do,” Jones said. “People now come in to see the dogs, especially Kooper. He can just look over the counter to greet everyone, like he’s saying, “May I help you?” Her large dogs also offer her OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2020
companionship and protection if she remains at the shop alone late at night. Jones keeps the dogs behind the counter so they cannot contact customers unless customers want to pet them. She has crate trained the dogs so that if a customer feels uncomfortable, Jones can send them to the back of the store. Mostly, the dogs sleep the day away. “I think it’s wonderful when I go to stores and see they’re pet friendly,” Jones said. “I think it’s terrific. When people see Kooper, their problems disOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
appear for a few minutes. They want to talk about Kooper and forget about their problems for a little bit.” Because of his size, many customers ask how tall he is, where he sleeps and how much he weighs. A few ask Jones if she has a saddle for him, even. “They’re gentle giants,” she said of great Danes. Unwittingly, Jones has made her pooches part of her store’s branding. “I have people call who can’t remember the name of my shop — espe37
