Good Boy, Tucker

Like any other day after locking up, I pulled the shade down that insinuates the office is closed. “Sorry you’ve missed us,” the top of the curtain reads. Beneath the wording, you’re greeted by a photo of a handsome golden retriever named Tucker.

Floor manager. Goodwill ambassador. Greeter … and all-around good boy are just a few of Tucker’s titles at the Alger County Chamber of Commerce and Munising Downtown Development Authority.

Or “the trash man,” as I affectionately refer to him as. Even though he favors a good rubber door stopper, he enjoys an occasional tissue or napkin from the little garbage can near my desk.

If you haven’t met Tucker in person, chances are you’ve seen pictures of him on the mobile directories and promotional flyers around Munising. He’s fluffy, gentle, and loves people. We were first introduced when I was interviewed by his human, Kathy, for my job. While I was answering a question, I noticed something moving behind her.

“Oh, that’s Tucker,” Kathy said, smiling. “My dog.”

She had put him in a crate before our interview so he wouldn’t get hair on my clothes, or I suppose, in case I didn’t like dogs. That wasn’t the case, however, and I left that interview happily with Tucker’s hair all over my pants.

Even though companies such as Google, Apple, and Amazon allow dogs at the office, I had never worked in a pet-friendly environment before, so it was a pleasant surprise. After reading a couple of studies about the benefits of bringing your furry friends to your job, I now wonder why more don’t allow it.

Tucker turned 8 in September, and unfortunately right before Christmas, he stopped eating. Hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive cancer, with internal bleeding was the final diagnosis.

Cancer is so common among the breed that the Morris Animal Foundation, a Colorado-based nonprofit, is in its 9th year of its Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, which is the first extensive investigation of its kind aimed at discovering the correlation between the dogs and their risks of cancer.

Tucker passed away at home on Monday, Jan. 17, with his favorite human by his side. That afternoon was the first time in months I paid any attention to the curtain on the front door of the office as I shut it behind me.

Both studies I’ve read about pet-friendly workplaces claim that camaraderie is the biggest benefit of having the animals around. I have a theory that Tucker vouched for me during that interview and that’s one of the kindest things a friend could do.