MEXICO CITY, MEXICO — Margó starts her workday wearing a uniform and a company badge. His tasks include walking between desks, wagging his tail, playing, and taking naps. And on special days, he puts on his lab coat and participates in an activity that so many children dream of: trying out toys. Margó makes frequent appearances on social networks.
Margó, a dog who was rescued by Ángel Algara, marketing director of the toy company Juguetes Mi Alegría, joined the team at the beginning of 2023. Since then, her six companions have looked after her well-being and have enjoyed her company, which that has improved their work environment. .
“Taking care of her has brought us closer. She has lifted our spirits. It’s easier to work while petting a puppy. Whenever I have too many things on my plate, I’m with her. “I pet her, we go for a walk and the day improves a lot,” says Algara.
In various public and private workplaces in Mexico City, workers are adopting company pets to give the animals a new life. But doing so has also resulted in more cohesive team relationships and lower stress levels. In some places, the presence of these mascots is generating more engagement and changing the way people relate to their work.
“Taking care of her has brought us closer. She has lifted our spirits. It is easier to work while she pets a puppy.”My Joy Toys
Viridiana Frías, specialist and technician in animal-assisted interventions, states that the presence of a company pet in the work environment has benefits for mental health. “Research shows that cortisol levels are impacted and, in any situation, the stress generated there is reduced.”
Animal-assisted interventions are forms of treatment in which non-human species help provide support during therapy for neurological, psychological, and psychiatric conditions, among others. Frías, who is currently training a dog to be an assistant in speech and language therapies, says that pets and humans by sharing their lives create a bond that “reduces stress, feelings of loneliness (and) anxiety.”
At Juguetes Mi Alegría, where Margó works, the human resources department has noticed the benefits.
“Most people (on the team) have pets. “So, it’s like a reminder of what they have at home,” says Erika Cerón, department manager. She believes staff engagement has improved. “I think they really feel better with her here.”
In Mexico, 75% of the population experiences fatigue due to work stress, a reduction in well-being due to their working conditions, according to the Mexican Social Security Institute, the country’s main health care and social protection institution. In this context, the presence of pets in the workplace can improve the mental health of even those who perform the most stressful occupations.
Members of the Xochimilco Fire Department, part of the Mexico City Fire Department, are noticing how the arrival of Horda, a pregnant dog that they found tied up in their facilities several months ago, has allowed them to strengthen their sense of well-being.
“It serves as therapy for us, so that we can be comfortable with everyone. Stroking it and playing with it takes away your stress,” says Iber Farfán Ruiz, non-commissioned officer of the fire department. He is in charge of taking care of Horde and walking her.
Due to the nature of their work, firefighters have high rates of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, so it is necessary to develop strategies to maintain their emotional balance. Frías says that sharing activities with the animals, such as feeding them or taking them to the vet, is beneficial.
“The body unconsciously forms bonds with positive stimuli, such as caressing the animal or being in its company,” he says.
Horde “has become part of the team. “Everyone takes care of her and has a lot of fun with her without neglecting her work,” says Edmundo Flores Pérez, chief and inspector of the fire station.
The benefits of pets in the workplace have caught the attention of Mexico City legislators. In April 2023, local deputy Nazario Norberto Sánchez presented an initiative in the city Congress to promote pet-friendly offices.
“The participation of pets in the work life of workers would play an important role in achieving a better quality of life, adequate work performance and better management of work-related stress,” the document says. It also claims that having pets at work can increase worker productivity.
Norberto says that the initiative arose from citizen requests.
“(The people who came to my citizen affairs office) told me: ‘Hey, why don’t you launch an initiative because I leave my little dog alone when I have to go to work and he’s alone all day.’” he said he in October 2023.
At that time, the legislator thought that, for the measure to be successful, it would be necessary to “respect the current animal ownership laws and be careful with staff with allergies and phobias who work there.”
The proposed initiative has not reached debate in the capital’s Congress.
Meanwhile, some public entities are already beginning to add pets to their ranks. The Casa de la Cultura Postal, a museum in downtown Mexico City that showcases the history of the country’s postal service, adopted a cat named Timbre and a dog named Barragán early last year.
When Timbre, the museum’s first mascot, arrived, changes had to be made to the work dynamic and new cleaning equipment purchased to ensure that neither workers nor visitors were negatively affected. However, when it was seen that his presence generated enthusiasm among visitors, the decision was made to take another step to transform the facilities. Today, both the museum and its restaurant are pet-friendly spaces.
“(Visitors) said, ‘Hey, you have a dog. You have a cat. Can I bring my dog? And I would say yes,” says museum administrator Karen May, who has seen pets at the facility, from rabbits to hamsters.
May says that the presence of the cat Timbre and the dog Barragán changed not only the House of Postal Culture but also its workers and visitors. And even if their arrival posed some challenges, the general consensus is that they have provided great satisfaction.