Pet food subscription company Bella & Duke has created what is claimed to be the UK’s most pet-friendly office.
Designed in partnership with Space Solutions, the office space features a number of benefits, services and facilities to improve the welfare of employees and their pets, including inbuilt kennels and relaxation spaces, a picket fence pet sensory garden, agility courses and interactive areas, pet-friendly decor including plants and flowers such as areca palms, banana plants and aspidistra, calming sprays, toys, and snuffle mats.
In addition, the firm is employing a full-time pet and people ‘Park Ranger’ to ensure that the needs of office pets and visitors are met as well as the company’s own in-house pet behaviourist.
Bella & Duke chief executive Mark Scott said: “Our pets have always been right by us, even more so during lockdown, so we felt it was time we did right by them. We hear of companies talking about being pet friendly, but with pet wellbeing at the core of what our company does, we wanted to take it one step further and create The UK’s most pet friendly office.
“Bella & Duke has over 130 employees with over 60 pets between them from cats and dogs to ferrets and snakes, so we had to make sure our new office space was adaptable to meet our employee needs as well as their companions.”
Jim Mathieson, group managing director at Space Solutions, said: “Our Design & Build team worked closely with Bella & Duke to create a workplace with health and wellbeing at its heart. This project was all about the employee and pet experience and focused on creating a unique and interactive space which goes beyond the conventions of a typical office environment.”
The office opens as research commissioned by Bella & Duke found that nearly 80% of office workers in the UK are currently unable to take their new pet to work due to it not having the adequate facilities.
