Food firm HECK! gives canine comfort to workers’ pets | UK | News

A Yorkshire firm has become one of the first in the UK to appoint a canine liaison officer to put the welfare of their workers’ pooches first.

Dogs can also enjoy a doggy day spa menu, which includes a starter of howloumi sticks and canine croquettes, s-paw-ghetti carbonara, bark-B-Q pork, followed by deserts of woofles with cream and pub-sicles. Treatments include pawdicures, vanity furs and a ruff-day massage.

The new role comes as family food firm HECK! from Bedale, who set up a ‘dog hotel’ for staff to bring their dogs to work after lockdown, rolls out a series of initiatives to spearhead physical and mental health at work. 

The dog hotel allows staff to take their pets to work and one of the owners, Becky Keeble, volunteered to go one step further and make sure the precious pooches are spoilt in their down time, taking on the new role.

Co-founder Jamie Keeble said: “During lockdown we created a ‘walking ambassador’ to get our factory workers out and about during lunchtime to get some fresh air around the 800 acre farm.

“When we all came back to work at HECK! HQ, we opened our dog hotel so they could enjoy our lovely farm as well. Everyone loves to bring their pets to work so they can see them and walk them in their breaks. It’s great that Becky has stepped in to become our pooch person, and I’m sure she’ll make a fantastic paw patrol leader!”

Says Becky “It’s actually just as therapeutic for us as well as the dogs to spend time with them, grooming and fussing them all. They are all very much part of the HECK! family! My dogs love coming here and are so excited to see all their puppy pals. They’ve all got such great personalities”. 

It’s one of a range of health initiatives offered at a well-known North Yorkshire firm, including employee health screening, a wellness area and a healthier canteen menu.

Britain’s largest independent sausage supplier, which employes 130 people, cites a Rover.com survey earlier this year that showed over a quarter of workplaces have become dog-friendly within the last one to two years, which has many positive benefits, such as reducing stress, boosting team morale, and improving the workplace atmosphere.

The research also highlighted a wider cultural shift, with 47% of owners now expecting dog-friendly policies as standard within a workplace. In addition, 20% would turn down their ‘dream job’ if it didn’t accommodate their dogs.