CESAR Canine Cuisine Announces First-Ever Workplace Grant Recipients

CESAR Canine Cuisine is announcing the nine businesses across the country who will be awarded a CESAR Workplace Grant. Earlier this year, the brand launched the CESAR Workplace Grants, powered by the Mars Petcare BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program, designed to help businesses make simple changes to welcome dogs into their offices, or to further enhance their current dog-friendly offerings. The grant recipients will receive a collective total of $75,000 to help further their commitment to pet togetherness in the workplace.

Recent research from the CESAR brand shows the powerful impact dogs can have on employee satisfaction and the return to office. In fact, 93 percent of dog owners in pet-friendly workplaces reported positive attitudes about going to work. Additionally, 87 percent of employers with dog-friendly office policies say those policies increased the likelihood of their workforce returning to the office in person. Through the CESAR Workplace Grants program, the brand is helping businesses implement or enhance dog-friendly initiatives with hopes that they will experience the benefits of canine coworkers.

“At our Mars Petcare office, we understand the impact that having your furry colleague nearby has on boosting workplace morale and given how many hours we spend a week in the office, it just makes sense to have dogs there,” said Sarah Dunsmore, People and Organization Director, Mars Petcare. “I’m so inspired to see how all these organizations, from Buffalo to Albuquerque, are planning to use these grant funds to establish new dog-friendly policies or enhance their current programming and can’t wait to follow along on their dog-friendly journeys over the next year.”

Below are the 2023 CESAR Workplace Grant recipients:

• Center 615 will make updates to its existing pet amenities – such as adding dog waste stations and free doggy waste bags and bolstering its signage onsite – and provide company-branded dog accessories.
• Compeer Buffalo will welcome dogs into its office for the first time and create designated “Canine-Assisted Wellness Zones,” thoughtfully designed to accommodate dogs and employees.
• EOA Architects, who already hosts “Pet Friendly Fridays,” will welcome pets into the office on a more frequent basis. They’ll also introduce a colored leash system that aligns with dogs’ preference for being approached and signage letting visitors know pets may be in office.
• Five Ton Monkey will further accommodate the pets they already have in the office by establishing new policies and safety procedures and creating custom onsite pet-care stations.
• Laura U Design Collective will expand its existing dog perks with comfy dog beds, water stations, leash hooks to keep pets safely nearby their parent and a workplace pet promotion campaign. The business hopes this expansion will spur pet and pet parent health and engagement.
• MAS-HVAC will formalize their pets at work policy at their new 2024 office and has plans to add dog-friendly water fountains, leash hooks at desks, dog beds, refillable dog waste bag holders with free waste bags and signage about their pet-friendly program throughout the workplace.
• Northwood Office will establish their dog-friendly workplace program with a focus on implementing new policies, amenities and practices to test and learn for expansion of its dog-friendly workplace initiative.
• Pottstown Area Economic Development (PAED) will expand its pet-friendly offerings to accommodate more pets. They’ll create a clear policy for dogs in the workplace, including signage and emergency procedures that are inclusive of doggy desk mates.
• Smith Gee Studio will provide new amenities to accommodate pets and their owners including beds, blankets, leash hitches and on-site waste stations. Additionally, they’ll implement new signage, formal policies and communications to let visitors know their workplace is dog-friendly.

In addition to the grant funds, each recipient will be offered CESAR Canine Cuisine for their canine coworkers, access to pet behavior training resources from Mars Petcare and consultation from the Civic Design Center to help further their programs’ success.

“We are so excited for this opportunity to welcome our dogs to our office, with the help of the CESAR brand,” said Cheri Alvarez, CEO of Compeer Buffalo. “As a mental health nonprofit, we understand the psychological benefits of pet interactions. Welcoming our pups into our office will provide emotional support, stress relief and comfort to our hardworking staff, allowing them to replenish themselves so they can better serve our community.”

Businesses who aren’t receiving a grant can still take advantage of the resources and expertise of the CESAR brand and Mars Petcare, the CESAR brand’s parent company, with the PETS WORK AT WORK toolkit. The toolkit is a free online resource and the ultimate guide for any business considering going dog-friendly. It includes information on making the case to leadership teams, details on ordinances and necessary amenities, considerations for developing a pet policy, how to communicate the program to employees, example signage, furniture recommendations and more tips for a successful integration of pets in the workplace.

To learn more about the CESAR brand’s work in helping to make the world a more dog-friendly place, visit CESAR.