Zelda the Paw-fessional Greeter

Siena is one of PetSure’s friendly Customer Service Officers and loves being able to bring her dog Zelda to work.

Zelda is a seven-year-old Irish Wolfhound cross that Siena adopted at eight months old from a rescue, after falling in love with her profile picture.

“It’s hard to picture Zelda as a dog as I see her more as a sassy toddler,” laughs Siena.

Zelda she loves food and car rides, but hates baths. She’s demanding when it comes to pats, attention and especially treats. Clever too; she knows tricks like shaking hands, lying down, begging and even balancing treats on her nose, and barking on command.

“She is full of personality, and I can’t imagine having any other dog,” says Siena.

In the office, Zelda keeps everyone entertained. She often sneaks up on coworkers and licks their elbows or knees when they’re busy working.

“She remembers the people who give her treats and pats and greets them with an excited howl or grumble,” Siena says. “She also leads them to the treat tins located around the office and do her ‘rounds’ in which she greets everyone and sniffs everything!”

It’s not surprising that all this greeting has earned Zelda a nickname in the office: the PetSure welcoming committee. It’s a fitting title too, since PetSure’s workplace is designed with pets in mind. Dogs are welcome every weekday except Tuesdays, which are reserved for cats.

“We get free parking passes if we bring our pets into the office. There are dog water bowls, toys, beds and free pet treats, as well as cat climbing structures,” says Siena. “We even have a new group of people called the ‘pets @ work working group’ which is a team dedicated to improving the pet friendliness of our office and find a harmonious balance for pet owners and non-pet owners to enjoy our furry friends in the office.”

Zelda usually joins Siena at work two to three days a week, taking other days to rest at home. Many of Siena’s colleagues say Zelda is one of their favourite office dogs because of her social nature.

“Some people call her Zel-di and Zel-da-roo-ni. She often wants to ditch me while in office so she can sit by the humans that give her the most treats!” Siena laughs.

Dressed in her bright pink tie, Zelda has earned a reputation as a true “paw-fessional.” She even won the 2025 “Best in Office” award—the first pet ever to receive it.

“I often experience disgruntled customers in my role and find Zelda as a great stress reliever as I can just lean over and give her a pat, which helps me start my next call refreshed and more positive,” says Siena.

“When Zelda is not in the office with me the day feels longer and goes more slowly. Having Zelda my office also helps me make connections and friendships in different departments that I would otherwise not interact with.”

Of course, some precautions are needed to ensure comfort and safety with having pets in the office.

“Cleaning supplies have been placed around the office, gates have been put up to section the office and hooks have been installed to the desks so pet parents can tether their dogs’ leashes to prevent unsupervised doggy play,” Siena explains.

For Siena, the benefits of having pets in the office far outweigh the challenges.

“Bringing a dog into the workplace benefits everyone - the pet owner, the dog, the coworkers and even local business. People from other businesses in our building always say, ‘I love that you can bring your dog to work,’ ‘I wish I could bring my dog to work’ or ‘I love seeing you and your dog around the building’,” she says.

Zelda has become such a beloved presence that even coworkers without pets look forward to spending time with her. The serotonin and endorphins of playing with a dog are hard to resist!

“Zelda makes my day better while working and every single time she is not with me in office, everyone looks at my feet and asks where she is,” says Siena.