# Pets in the shop



## DuckJordan (May 6, 2011)

Once in a while, we have some slow days in electrics and one of our crew brings in his dogs, They are very well behaved and stay out of the way. but they are also a nice little distraction when things get too repetitive and frustrating.

Has anyone ever brought their pet into work with them?

Personally, I would love to bring my cat to work if I didn't think she'd try to get into the old asbestos cords still hanging around in random places. I know that when I am working in the high school space the director has asked be frequently to bring in my dog just to keep some of the students more careful (she has this eye for bad injury causing habits and has on more than one occasion helped me notice things I should have before.


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## Sony (May 6, 2011)

I don't have one, but a lot of people at my other job bring their dogs to work, we usually have 3 dogs hanging in the shop on any given day.


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## ValleyTheaterKid (May 6, 2011)

At my school, in the Neighborhood we live in there are always dogs that get out of house cuz people could care less about them. An actor of ours always brings them in for the day and then she usually takes them to the vet to see if they are chipped. we often have cans of dog food laying around just for times like this lol. its fun too, puts the techies in a good mood.


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## techieman33 (May 6, 2011)

No animals in the theater period. The only 2 exceptions are ADA, and the animal is in the show. If in the show it's comes on stage right before the performance and is gone immediately after.


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## Grog12 (May 7, 2011)

techieman33 said:


> No animals in the theater period. The only 2 exceptions are ADA, and the animal is in the show. If in the show it's comes on stage right before the performance and is gone immediately after.


 **Moved to General Advice because I think a broad range of opinions could come up on this subject**

Personally I tend to agree with techieman33. That being said in this past year I've worked in theatres that allow them, and one that basically had a "house" dog. 

As a general question aimed at those still in the educational world...

What are some of the pro's and con's of allowing animals in your theatre?


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## wolf825 (May 7, 2011)

No pets allowed beyond ADA/assist animals....we don't even allow animal acts....a 'shop dog' would be kinda fun at times but usually its not a welcome thing for many. 

FWIW...I recall many years ago one theater locally had a cat for a very brief time....brought in by their theater tech gal who thought it would do great at catching mice and she would do the theater a favor etc....and that 'act of good intention' lasted very briefly until the cat decided to climb the Cyc chasing after a bug or something....claws and all....and from what I am told it ripped and put gaping holes in the cyc in its purrrrsuit of whatever it was chasing. If that had been my house--besides the fact there would never be a cat in my theater--I would have put holes in the cat if that happened... As I last heard--the theater held HER liable for the replacement costs...the cat never came there again...and she quit soon after cause they were garnishing her $$$ for the replacement costs instead of suing her... 

so...animals and the stage...just about as bad as children and the stage.... 

-w


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## kiwitechgirl (May 7, 2011)

I used to work in a venue where we had a big black cat called Screwloose - he was a stray who wandered into the yard and got adopted. He was (is still, I just don't work there any more!) a lovely cat - if we were working in the auditorium he'd wander around in there with us, and usually curl up on a seat and go to sleep; if you sat down he'd be on your lap in about ten seconds flat, purring for all he was worth. He got locked in the workshop during shows (although he got good at hiding under the props table, stretched out along the radiator - black cat in a dark space against a black wall - hard to see!) and always put out at night. I'm very much a cat person, and I still miss him! Occasionally two of the guys would bring their dogs in - only ever on maintenance days though - and the set designer/artist always had his Jack Russell with him, more's the pity as it was a horrible little dog!


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## ValleyTheaterKid (May 7, 2011)

Yeah i wouldnt want cats in my theater just because most of the time cats are very curious and will do bad things like stated above. dogs are fine with me though.


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## derekleffew (May 7, 2011)

Grog12 said:


> ...What are some of the pro's and con's of allowing animals in your theatre?


Other than guide and bomb dogs (yes, we have bomb dogs and have since before 9/11) there are no pro's, only con's.


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## chausman (May 7, 2011)

The stage where the Ellen Degeneres show is filmed, has a cat that lives there. They have 24/7 web cams and one user saw it one night, so now they have cat food and a cat stand that they put on stage whenever nothing is going on in there.


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## josh88 (May 8, 2011)

I'd say no, especially in a shop. there's just too much going on that an animal could cross a persons path when they aren't looking and before you know it they are face down with an armful of 2x4's around them. its a safety thing I don't go near, love animals but they get in the way, plus on the slow days, how are you gonna play shop ball when there's a dog in there trying to get the ball every time you drop it. seriously though It'd be even worse in an educational setting because we had non major students who were required to do shop hours and even with the best behaved nicest animals you never know how they might react to certain people and new strangers, I cringe to think of the liability issues of a student getting bit by a dog in the shop. not your typical shop injury.


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## MNicolai (May 8, 2011)

Our official policy is no animals unless they're in the show, but unofficially myself and another person bring our dachshunds in from time to time. I primarily do it when I'm on my way to take her on a walk but have to stop at the theatre to do something for a short while and don't want to leave her in the car. The other person usually does it when she's working in the costume shop with a handful of other people for the day.




The theatre also happens to be connected to a large school and traffic between the school and the arts center can vary greatly from day to day, so anyone letting their dog roam freely can expect to either lose their dog somewhere in the building or have it escorted back to them by a school administrator, custodian, or if they're really lucky, our police liaison.


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## len (May 8, 2011)

I don't think I'd do it in an educational situation. Likely not even if I knew there were going to be a lot of people in my shop that didn't know the animal. But if it were just a couple employees, and I knew the animal could be left alone safely, then I don't see an issue with it.

My old boss used to let his kids run wild in his shop. They'd ride skateboards, rollerskate, you name it. One of them was always getting hurt. Fortunately, that practice didn't last long.


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## LXPlot (May 8, 2011)

len said:


> My old boss used to let his kids run wild in his shop. They'd ride skateboards, rollerskate, you name it. One of them was always getting hurt. Fortunately, that practice didn't last long.


 
Our director does that. I walked in on one of them trying to operate a mitre saw recently.


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## Pie4Weebl (May 8, 2011)

When I lived in St. Louis, the rental company I worked for typically had 2-3 dogs running around the warehouse on any given day. It was good for moral and we would just keep them in the office side when things got too crazy on the shop floor.


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## masterelectrician2112 (May 8, 2011)

Nice pic MNicolai. Have you taught her to program yet? 

I have never worked in a shop or theater with a dog, but the concept seems cool. It would require somebody watching it at all times though.


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## DuckJordan (May 8, 2011)

masterelectrician2112 said:


> Nice pic MNicolai. Have you taught her to program yet?
> 
> I have never worked in a shop or theater with a dog, but the concept seems cool. It would require somebody watching it at all times though.


 

You'd think so but, every dog we've had in the shop has been very well behaved, and always stayed out of the way.


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## chausman (May 8, 2011)

I have a Blue Fronted Amazon who would LOVE to be in a shop! She likes anything loud and consequently sings her version of "opera" with no words. 


More at My Photobucket Album


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## ValleyTheaterKid (May 8, 2011)

ok that is an awesome picture lol


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## BrianWolfe (May 9, 2011)

We have had a cat(s) in my shop for 30 years. They have been good company. They are shop cats though, owned by the shop owner. I wouldn't support people bringing their own pets into the shop. Too unpredictable and unfair to shop personnel who do not want them in the shop. We did have an awful incident where a 21 year old cat was run over by a forklift he could not hear. The new cat stays in the office where she is safe..


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## gafftaper (May 11, 2011)

Typically it's a big no no in educational theater. Most schools don't allow dogs on campus period. 

The big theater supply store here in town has been a dog friendly business for well over 20 years. It's so dog friendly they don't have a catalog they have a "Dogalog". The original owner would always have two big dogs with him, and many others were around the business office, rental shop, and store. He's gone but the tradition continues. My favorite Dogalog cover was from back in the 90's. It was a spoof of the Cats logo with a black lab and golden eyes instead. At random points in the dogalog there are pictures of dogs with products. My favorite was many years ago and a picture of a big dog in a makeup chair who looks really excited, with the caption, "Did someone say something about Pancakes?" You can download the 2010 Dogalog  here.


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## mstaylor (May 11, 2011)

I am a huge dog lover, curently housing an American Bulldog for a serviceman in Afganastan, but they have no business at work. I have seen too many people that have no clue how to care or train animals and they create havoc. Every dog I have ever owned did what I asked when asked but they stayed at the house.


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## JChenault (May 12, 2011)

gafftaper said:


> The big theater supply store here in town has been a dog friendly business for well over 20 years. It's so dog friendly they don't have a catalog they have a "Dogalog". The original owner would always have two big dogs with him, and many others were around the business office, rental shop, and store. .



Perhaps this a Seattle area thing. At a community theatre I work with in Edmonds, dogs are welcome to visit during construction, hang focus, etc. 
I work with a theatre in Tacoma where the managing director /artistic director and his partner have their dogs there every day ( they mostly stay in the artistic directors office). The development director is bringing her dog in now.
When I worked foe Amazon.com, they ran a pet friendly building. Any employee could bring in their pet - but it was mostly dogs. 
The general rule is that the animal must be well behaved, and if it makes a mess you are required to clean it up yourself.

I really enjoyed having pets in the office. Most folks liked it. A few hated it.


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## techieman33 (May 12, 2011)

JChenault said:


> Perhaps this a Seattle area thing. At a community theatre I work with in Edmonds, dogs are welcome to visit during construction, hang focus, etc.
> I work with a theatre in Tacoma where the managing director /artistic director and his partner have their dogs there every day ( they mostly stay in the artistic directors office). The development director is bringing her dog in now.
> When I worked foe Amazon.com, they ran a pet friendly building. Any employee could bring in their pet - but it was mostly dogs.
> The general rule is that the animal must be well behaved, and if it makes a mess you are required to clean it up yourself.
> ...


 
Pets hanging out in the office is one thing, but a working stage or shop is an extremely dangerous practice no matter how well behaved an animal is "most of the time".


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## GBtimex (May 12, 2011)

One of the people here before me set up a program on campus to feed, shelter and spay any stray cat that showed up on campus. They built a little cat house right next to the dock and keep food in one of our storage rooms. That room became known as the "***** Lair" and the name always raises an eyebrow. We have only had one in our house once and he did NOT like being a loud, food less and cold place for long. He left the second we opened the door the next day. I have never seen one in house but they always end up laying on my car when I am unloading it. 


I have been wanting to bring a Labrador into the space on those long days when we get bored. It is rather unprofessional in my own biased opinion but life is too short and IF they do no harm why not? I have worked in some spaces that brought dogs in and everyone was in a better mood because of it and work tended to get done faster. Sometimes you have to throw up your hands and say "oh well". I would always rather have a dog back stage than a baby or small child ANYTIME. 

Interesting talk. 

GBtimex


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## derekleffew (May 12, 2011)

GBtimex said:


> One of the people here before me set up a program on campus to feed, shelter and spay any stray cat that showed up on campus. They built a little cat house right next to the dock and keep food in one of our storage rooms. That room became known as the "***** Lair" and the name always raises an eyebrow. ...


_The Best Little Cathouse in Texas_ ?


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