A ruff day in the office

In November 2018, Zurich introduced a new internal social media channel for its employees and with it created a new phenomenon: Pets of Zurich!

Literally, thousands of employees signed up to the ‘group for all animal lovers’. It took off faster than a racing greyhound, or a cat chasing a mouse… and gave us more access to pooch photos and snake snaps than you ever thought humanly – or felinely – possible.

You want to see hairless cat? Tick! Or a chameleon dog that turns invisible when it lays on a rug? You got it!

“As a self-described ‘crazy dog lady’, it’s awesome to connect with like-minded colleagues across the globe,” says Lauren Kapp, who together with her Australian colleague Michael Simitsis set up and administer the site.

“I’m obsessed with my beloved schnoodles Darcy and Gigi,” says Lauren. For those lacking canine parlance, a schnoodle is a cross between a poodle and a schnauzer. “But my favorite posts are always when pets are dressed up in adorable costumes.”

Oh yes, there are plenty of those. If you have a fixation for seeing a cat in a hat; a pirate’s hat, a Christmas hat, or even a witch’s hat – there’s plenty to choose from. A dog in a poncho, a police uniform, or a unicorn outfit – take your pick. Then there’s always the obligatory tortoise dressed as a pumpkin!

Up-ROAARR!

It may be fun, but the group has faced controversy. When it was first launched, it told members to post ‘pictures and stories of your fur babies’. This caused a lion-sized uproar among the reptile and bird loving communities who accused the site of being non-inclusive. But the error was fixed and quickly ‘non-fur babies’ were embraced. Phew!

Today, the group is very diverse and inclusive with dogs, cats, birds (of every type imaginable), lizards, snakes, hamsters, tortoises, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, donkeys, horses, chickens and many others.

Sabina Martinez claims to own the world’s sweetest and cutest… ferret! While Chris Allison often shares updates on his beer-swilling, beard-loving duck – who has a mighty quack – named Kevin. And, as all responsible duck owners do, Chris gave him his own Instagram account, #kevinthecallduck.

One of the most unusual is Barbara Cavaretta’s adopted pet squirrel. She provides regular updates about the bushy tailed Pearlie who was rescued after falling from its nest as a baby. Together with her housemate – who was a vet tech at the time – Barbara bottle-fed Pearlie for a few weeks. Now she’s eight years old.

“I adore animals and think this is a wonderful site for all of us pet lovers out there,” says Barbara.

Pearlie lives with other rescued animals, including Mack the cat was who was adopted after getting caught in the wheel well of an 18-wheeler truck that had traveled over 900 miles (1,450 km) from Virginia to Louisiana. And if you haven’t guessed, the brand of truck was Mack.

Then there’s Diesel, a cat rescued from a gas station. Barbara says she has lost count of how many pets reside at her home, in addition to two feral cat colonies that she regularly feeds and describes as being “adorable”.

Raining cats and dogs

The fact that both dog and cat lovers – and all those other pet owners – get along so well is a surprise considering various studies suggest they have very different personalities.

A study by Dr. Denise Guastello, associate professor of psychology at Carroll University, found that dog lovers are more lively, energetic and outgoing. Whereas cat lovers are more introverted, open-minded and sensitive than dog lovers.

Cat lovers also score higher on intelligence than dog lovers. Mia-ouch!

But Pets of Zurich is more than just a place to post crazy photos and stories. It’s a community full of love and it remains one of the most popular groups across Zurich.

People celebrate their pets’ birthdays, announce adoptions and births, and advocate for rescue and adoption. But the posts that usually receive the most responses are those that mourn lost pets.

Elisabeth McLoone recently posted a message to recognize the anniversary of losing her Boxer dog Jack and his brother Bob.

“Our pets mean the world to us, which is why they leave such a pawprint on our hearts when they pass,” says Elisabeth. “I just wanted to mark the passing of both Jack and Bob, and Pets of Zurich is the perfect community for doing this. The response was so uplifting.”

Doghouse bound

With many people working from home, there has been a new trend of photos of pets sleeping in home offices or pretending to work on laptops and answer the phone. Then there’s Marta Pérez Barbero’s dog Lily, who wears a face shield.

Other pets enjoy video-bombing Teams calls – either sneaking into the background of important meetings or just jumping front and center into the action. Audio-bombing is another new popular pet pastime.

Corina Perez’s sun conure Sunny, a medium-sized, vibrantly colored parrot from South America, has perfected the art and is well-known by her co-workers. “Most of the day I don’t hear a peep out of him, until I start talking to someone,” she says.

Marikka Werlen’s ‘spice girls’ Sage, Ginger, Pepper and Nutmeg – they’re baby chicks if you haven’t guessed – provide a soothing background to her calls. Apparently, it’s too cold for them to be outside so they find refuge in Marikka’s home office. Any excuse!

Our pets and the Pets of Zurich community have played a key role during lockdowns. Providing company in an otherwise isolating world, and importantly making us smile.

It’s all too easy to make fun at the some of the posts on Pets of Zurich, but it’s delivered a commodity that’s been in short supply: joy. So, if you hear anyone say something disparaging about the group then go up to them – while maintaining social distance – and shout “WOOF!” or if you’re feeling more introverted, a quiet “miaow”.