Scrappy (below), ATB’s happy mascot, invited all of his canine (and one feline) friends over for a visit and a lunch at ATB.

Scrappy quotes one writer, ”Having dogs in the workplace has been shown to reduce stress and improve employee morale. Employees are more willing to work longer hours.” You can read more about this phenomenon here and here. Scrappy, a Golden Retriever, belongs to Jennifer.

Facts from the American Humane Association:
Staff morale and worker productivity increased by bringing pets to work.

Increased camaraderie among employees.

Happier employees result in enhanced job performance.

Increase in sales reported by store owners who take their dogs to work.

Dogs can serve as a crime deterrent. OK, maybe not our pack of sweet tiny dogs, but hey, Scrappy is big - oh, and the little ones can really bark loud.

“There’s something about pets that really brings people together” says Carol Moulton, Director, American Humane Society.

Hey there Mr. M, got any good snacks for me?

Even Butters (above) was invited. Scrappy doesn’t discriminate. Sherry is Butter’s human. Butters felt honored to be the only feline present.

This is Gibson, one of Guinevere’s dogs - Yorkshire Terrier. Guinevere’s other pup, Kira, is the white Maltese Terrier (below). Kira is getting up in her years, probably our oldest visiting friend. How does she maintain that youthful look? And great hair bows too!

Katie Bell - Braylee’s super cute Pomeranian. Be still my heart.

Sadie, Kristen’s spunky and sweet Yorkshire Terrier. She’s only 6 months old. That face! Awwwwwwww.

Bella, (above) is Cheri and Robert’s Lhasa apso/Poodle mix. She is the sister of Toby (below), who belongs to Trent. Super friendly and cuddly sweet dogs. These two have the softest fur ever! (You know, like that super silky fleece fabric? Yep.) Don’t you love Toby’s chocolate color? You could just eat him up, but he probably doesn’t taste much like chocolate, and he’s hairy too. Ok, bad idea.

Are you tired of cute doggie photos? We didn’t think so. Ok, here’s more.

Is Scrappy smiling in this photo? Yep, we checked, he is. He sure does love Kristen. That’s Matt, Kristen’s fiance. He’s a dog lover too. At least we’re 99% sure he is. You can tell by the expression on his face.

Thanks for the scratches Steve. You know Scrappy loves scratches. Oh man, you’re my best bud. I sure do like you Steve. When you’re done with my back, can I get a belly rub too?