OAKLAND, Maine — Would you bring your dog to work?
You now can in one business spot in Oakland.
Gateway Financial Partners opened on Thursday signing on to a creative approach by FirstPark, a dog-friendly business park.
That approach is to create a dog park on one of the lots of land to attract more businesses and the people with pets who work at them.
Jim Dinkle, executive director of FirstPark, hopes to connect the business park’s current walking trail to the nearby Messalonskee Stream Trail this summer, all part of the park’s dog-friendly marketing plan.
A factor for Gateway Financial Partners decision in moving to the area is because the park is dog-friendly.
Vice President of the local Maine office David Veilleux says, "I tell my wife my dogs are my therapy. They bring that sense of comfort to us here on a day when the market might be stressful. it's a nice thing to have that is comforting."
Dog-friendly businesses are an increasing trend in Maine. They’re known to have a better working environment by boosting morale and promoting a healthy work life.