Unless your service or organisation works with animals, then they typically don’t present in your work spaces, service provision or workplace culture.
Or do they? …
I recently spent a few years visiting Disability Supported Accommodation households and young people in residential care, and was surprised by the frequency and variety of pets and animals that I encountered, as well as animal themed toys, furniture and household decorations. Plenty of individual Service Plans has some form of animal-related activity as well. Just some examples:
- Cats, birds, fish, chickens and reptiles as household domestic companions. Often they were utilised to engage residents, settle behaviours, elicit empathy and help develop social skills.
- Visiting canines, either from staff bringing in their pets to show off and raise a smile on the faces of residents, or planned support animal visits.
- Practical supports such as service dogs, guide dogs for vision impaired residents, or emotional support animals.
- Shared animal-themed activities like petting zoos, movies, the Royal Easter show and smaller events like dog and cat shows.
- NDIS-approved equine therapy and horse riding, visits to bird sanctuaries, dolphin and whale-watching cruises, zoos and the like.
- Supported resident employment in pet shops, aquariums animal shelters and on farms.
- Animal pictures, prints and motifs in common areas and in the residents’ bedrooms, some as identifying images reflecting the personalities and traits of the residents.
- Soft toys and other collectibles that provided security, hobbies and interest to residents.
- TV shows, movies, videos, social streaming, books and stories that employed animal-related themes – Dorothy the Dinosaur and Bluey were big favourites.
Prior to my Visitor role, I worked in health services where visiting animals were utilised in children’s wards, palliative care, mental health, acute care and dementia units to engage and calm patients. Well placed, aquariums were shown to help anxious people reduce their stress and cope with waiting times, and I handed over many a Red Cross knitted bear to distressed and unwell children. In child counselling, my team would utilise related soft and hard toys and picture books to assist in managing disclosures and associated trauma. Surprisingly, in such a hygiene and infection-conscious environment, health services embraced the benefits of animal inclusiveness. From the NSW Health Guidelines, Animal Visits & Interventions in Public and Private Health Facilities (2012):
‘Animal visits provide comfort, entertainment, distraction, solace and a unique form of interaction. Animals also provide a unique source of assistance in education and supporting patients through clinical procedures. The benefits of these visits are well established and comprehensively documented.’
While working in child protection and domestic violence services, occasionally I would see Court Support Canines assisting children and young persons in their testimony, and the rare refuge with facilities to house pets from violent households. Some of the aged care facilities that I visited also had animal visiting programs, much to the delight of residents.
So, the presence of animals in the ‘workplace’ can take the form of a physical presence (permanent or visiting); virtual representations in books; pictures; mass media and internet sites; representations in toys, clothing, pictures; events, practical and facilitative activities and routines, therapies and social activities.
You might think ‘That’s okay for those kinds of services, but not mine’ Right? Well, it’s actually more widespread than you or I might realise.
As an example, I visited my dentist recently and while spruiking my practice during a check-up, he casually mentioned a recent client with PTSD bringing in his trauma support dog, which sat on the floor and patiently waited during the procedure. He wondered what the purpose of this was, so I explained the benefits to both the client as a calming and coping presence, as well as to the service, to keep a vulnerable client at ease during a procedure that is uncomfortable, likely painful and potentially triggering.
Some organisations arrange for emotional support animals to visit staff to lift morale and brighten their day. State rail services, some restaurants, and certain airlines accommodate approved assistance, therapy dogs and registered emotional support companions. I am seeing more services and businesses with animal friendly stickers. Google, Canva, the Melbourne Theatre Company, Cotton On, and wine retailer Vinomofo are just some of the big companies that advertise as pet friendly.
Of course, there are accessibility, anti-discrimination, occupational health and safety considerations to help you decide whether the known benefits outweigh the potential risks to staff, clients and visitors, as well as to your organisation’s functioning and reputation. Animals, like babies, can be an immense and pleasurable distraction from work activities. There are hygiene, slip and trip hazards, as well as temperament issues (both clients and animal) to consider. Protecting the wellbeing of any visiting or established animals is also a critical consideration.
If you choose to make your organisation more pet friendly, then I strongly recommend for related protocols, policies and procedures to be developed, alongside staff education and training about roles and responsibilities for animals onsite. Also, consider and dialogue with stakeholders about what messages you are promoting about animal access, inclusion and facilitation in workplace environments, services and supports, and your overall workplace culture. As mentioned, NSW Health has a specific set of related Guidelines that intersect with WHS and industrial conditions, as do other organisations, but it’s worth exploring broader legislation, licencing and accreditation issues before the first paw hits the floor.
The message here is that safely and smartly adopting animal inclusive practices, presence and environments in your workplaces and distributed services can result in a number of benefits – to mental and physical health, general wellbeing, inclusion, participation and accessibility, morale, community engagement, reputational status and just plain unconditional affection and compassion.
