Employee’s Dog Adds To Store Friendliness

Friday was Take Your Dog to Work Day, but for Susan Turner, taking her West Highland white terrier, Snowball, to work is a regular activity.

Turner, a part-time sales clerk at La Bella Luce – an Italian antique store in downtown Clifton – began bringing Snowball with her last year. His diabetes demanded insulin doses twice per day, and it was easier to watch him at the “pet-friendly” store, she said. Although Turner only works Thursdays and some weekends, she transports him from her Alexandria home every day she is on the job.

The 10-year-old dog adds to the place’s appeal, said store interior designer Janice Heflin.

“People love it,” Heflin said. “When they see him here, they want to touch him and feel the warmth. He’s this little white fluff ball thing. He has his own little dish bowl.”

Snowball’s diabetes has created cataracts, resulting in blindness, Turner said. He relaxes under La Bella Luce’s furniture and the counter near the front door. His food and water bowls fit with the store’s “kitchen,” as the place maintains the same layout as its predecessor – Clifton’s historic “Pink House.”

Turner does not officially recognize Take Your Dog to Work Day, she said, but bringing Snowball to La Bella Luce every week keeps her from worrying about his safety at home.

“I don’t have to leave him alone,” she said. “I know I’m not going to come home to a mess. I know he’s happier not being by himself.”

Both children and adults enjoy interacting with the black-eyed, 20-pound terrier when they visit, Turner said.

“He’s very friendly,” she said. “When people come in, he likes to greet them, and then he goes back under a piece of furniture and sits down. When children come in, they can come over and pet the dog and the parents talk.”

Quiet and serene, Snowball “rarely barks” and remains “very sweet,” even during the hour-long car ride from Alexandria to Clifton, Turner said.

“He doesn’t react adversely to anyone,” Heflin said.

Take Your Dog to Work Day recognizes dogs as human companions, said Beth Stultz, marketing manager for Pet Sitters International. The group initiated this day in 1999, and according to the event’s website, it always occurs the Friday following Father’s Day.

“You receive unconditional love from your pets,” Stultz said. “It lifts your spirits, it reduces stress.”

Meanwhile, at La Bella Luce, Snowball continues to give customers a hearty reception, Heflin said.

“Most people have positive memories associated with animals,” she said. “They feel warmth and acceptance.”