The cabinet secretary who rode in on a horse his first day of work is leading the pack to make his the first federal agency to be dog-friendly.
Interior secretary Ryan Zinke announced the "Doggy Days at Interior" program Thursday to nearly 70,000 employees, which would allow them to bring their pooches to work in an attempt to boost morale at the federal agency that includes the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management, according to The Washington Post.
The program will be tested May 5 and Sept. 1 at the department’s Washington headquarters.
“Today is National Puppy Day, and I don’t know about you, but it makes me think of how much my family dog, Ragnar, makes my day better,” Zinke wrote in an email Thursday. “Opening the door each evening and seeing him running at me is one of the highlights of my day.”
The dogs will have to be housebroken, vaccinated and have no history of aggression, according to the Post. Zinke also has rules for coworkers who have concerns about having dogs in the workplace including allowing them to work outside of the office.
Zinke hopes the program will help improve morale at the department, which is ranked 11 out of 18 in a federal government survey.
"Scientific studies show having a dog around the office improves morale and productivity, and having dogs around the office has health benefits like reducing stress levels," Zinke wrote the Huffington Post reported. "Research suggests it might make you trust your coworker more and improve collaboration, too. I'm willing to give it a shot and hope you'll work with me in this new endeavor.
Zinke rode Tonto, a U.S. Park Police horse that lives at the stables on the Mall, on his first day of work.
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