This month we feature “Montauk” and “Madeline.” These lovable lab-mix dogs belong to Carla Zarse, our esteemed silver and silver hollowware product expert.  Montauk and Madeline are not the first dogs to accompany Carla to work. When she first began at Replacements, Carla had a Weimaraner named “Tess” who came to work with her each day. Tess was adopted through a breed rescue organization. She had been a top show dog who ended up without a home after her owners went through a bitter divorce. Tess showed some signs of abuse and had a difficult time trusting other people. Carla gave Tess a good home and soon she became well socialized and very trusting.  Tragically, in 2001, Tess was lost to cancer.

After Tess’s passing, Carla found Montauk. This beautiful dog is literally a “barn dog.” He was born in the stall of a stable.  Again, Carla’s compassion helped her to give another dog a good home. Montauk is the name of the outermost point of Long Island, where Carla once lived. One day, Carla visited a local animal shelter in hopes of adopting a cat. She came across another lab mix that looked so much like Montauk, she could not bear to leave the dog at the shelter. That is how Madeline came to be part of Carla and Montauk’s family!

Both Montauk and Madeline have adapted very well at Replacements, Ltd., as they curl up under Carla’s desk and spend most of their day sleeping with an occasional wag of the tail if a dog biscuit is offered. Montauk definitely shows his Labrador side when there is a tennis ball around, as he loves to play fetch.  Just recently, Carla had to retrieve one of his tennis balls that had become lost under the inventory shelves that happened to be near a showroom tour route. A few customers saw it while they were on a tour of the building and were finally convinced that yes, dogs do come to work here at Replacements, Ltd. on a regular basis and occasionally their toys are lost in the warehouse.

When asked what she liked most about Replacements pet-friendly policy, Carla had this to say, “Because the dog’s break time is my break time, I am literally forced to get away from the stack of work at my desk. A refreshing walk around the building and a few minutes of playtime helps to clear my head and refocus my energy.”