There are dogs in people’s laps, dogs under people’s desks, even dogs sitting at desks. There are so many animals in this office, you might be tempted to describe it as a zoo.
But the animal-to-human ratio at Trupanion, the pet-insurance company in Seattle, is higher than at most zoos: On any given day, there might be 300 dogs and 600 employees.
What is it like to work in an office like that? It’s like living in a world where your dog is part of your identity, where everything is built around you being a dog person, and where everyone around you is also a dog person. People learn your dog’s name before they learn your name. Walking around the office reminded me of Philip Pullman’s fantasy series His Dark Materials, where every human has their own animal “daemon” that follows them around and acts as an external representation of their character.
