First Staff Happy Hour in over a Year!

Once we felt comfortable with vaccination coverage for our employees, we booked an in-person "Happy Hour" at our community garden. (Bel Arbor.) Nearly the entire crew came and I wish I took more pictures. The reason I didn't was because we were so busy giggling. (The picture above is the only shot I got of Julie, Shannon and Kerri!) We told our fellow gardeners that we would be there from 5-6PM and we locked the garden up at 9PM.

Nikki brought a hacky sack and we lived our best 90's life. (I was never good at it! That has not changed.) We sat in the grass as the sun set and discussed our favorite shows, movies, long-gone radio stations and of course we talked about our daily dogs. While we have been doing Zoom staff meetings, it's just not the same. It very much felt like a step in the right direction.

Later in the Summer, as a group, we're going to be meeting with a trainer at a park to discuss anxious "pandemic puppies." We're seeing an uptick in socialization gaps (don't stress - that's what professional trainers are for!) and we want to equip our employees with some science-based, positive-only handling tools to help calm our fearful and anxious pups. Do you have an anxious dog? We have recommendations for trainers we trust to offer humane guidance and help!