Last week Francestown Selectmen voted to prohibit transfer station employees from bringing their dogs to work, but declined to ban other town employees from bringing their pooches with them to their departments.
The new rule was directed at one employee and her dog; Heather Ayers and her 85-pound Saint Bernard/Newfoundland mix puppy.
“I’m angry that they singled out just Lilly,” Ayres said Tuesday. “It should apply to all dogs.”
Ayres said Lilly, who is expected to weigh 150 pounds as an adult, has already begun puppy training classes to be better behaved. Like most 9 month-old puppies she is easily excited and has a tendency to jump. But has never been out of control at the transfer station, Ayres said.
Lilly relieves Ayres’ anxiety, she said and has always been a friendly presence at the transfer station.
“I have a lot of anxiety and I have a lot of medical problems. She helps it so I can enjoy my day a lot better,” Ayres said.
The Francestown transfer station is also a dog-friendly place that even has dog biscuits that employees give out to dogs brought by residents.
During the June 10 Select Board meeting, which is available by video on the town website, board members said a letter of complaint had been received by the town about a recent incident at the transfer station.
Ayres said a resident with a small dog had approached her and Lilly and Lilly got excited. Ayres said she held Lilly back and nothing happened.
Ayres only works at the transfer station on Wednesdays and says she plans to follow the new rule.
“She is a large dog. I can see where there is a concern. I do not want her to be a liability for the town. I don’t want anyone getting knocked over or their vehicles getting scratched,” Ayres said. “I had already decided that she needs to know that it’s OK to stay home alone a few hours a day, so she doesn’t get a separation anxiety thing going.”
However, Ayres says, the rule should apply to all town employees. A subject that was discussed by Selectmen at the June 10 meeting.
“Dogs should not be allowed in the workplace. At least during business hours,” Selectwoman Abigail Arnold said during the meeting.
Select Board Chairman Brad Howell agreed, “I think on reflection Abigail’s right. It’s nice to think it’s a nice friendly dump with dogs, or transfer station, but I think it’s – not a good idea.”
Arnold said there are other departments where dogs are sometimes brought to work by town employees.
“I don’t think you can always bring your dog to work with you. The town clerk sometimes brings her dog to work,” Selectman Henry Kunhardt said.
“We’re not talking about the town clerk,” Arnold said.” … The concern has been raised about the reliability of this dog and its interface with people.”
Selectmen briefly talked about children being brought to work before going back to the issue of dogs. “Do I want to forbid grandchildren in the building, no,” Kunhardt said.
Arnold said the board should ban employees from bringing their dogs to both the transfer station and the highway department since Ayres’ boyfriend works for the highway garage. The other board members said they didn’t think it was a problem at the highway garage.
“I don’t understand the reluctance to say we don’t have dogs at the highway garage,” Arnold said. “It’s a liability issue. Dogs in the workplace that can get to the public or other employees. It’s a problem. … Do we wait till somebody gets bitten?”
Ayres said Tuesday, while she has visited her boyfriend at the highway garage with Lilly, Lilly has never gone to work with her boyfriend.
Following the meeting, many residents have defended Ayres and Lilly on Facebook and said the town should have a more wide-spread policy.
“If the town is going to take the position that dogs in the workplace is a liability, then they can’t pick and choose what workplace they figure those liabilities rest in,” Tim Henshaw said in a Facebook post. “But my position on this, as an admitted “dog person.” … Seeing an employee with a friendly dog at the transfer station, or the town office, or riding in a highway department truck makes this town a better place to live, not a worse place.”
Katherine Hall said on Facebook, “I rarely post anything but I feel strongly about this. It was lovely to see Lilly at the dump. For all of you haters and accusers may I remind you that this is a small town so remember that one of the reasons we live here is that we can have pets and livestock. Heather does her job.”
Ayres responded to people on Facebook that she respects the board’s decision and will adhere to it.
“Most people are angry because they come to the dump and (Lilly) has been there since she was a puppy and everybody’s watched her grow,” Ayres said Tuesday, but added, “I don’t want problems at work. I’m not going to bring her when I’m working.”