• by Masha Geller , August 6, 2002

On a news-heavy day when AOL finds a new leader and Onmicom reports increased net income, it’s tough to find anything other than those two events to spark water cooler discussion. But not impossible. I came across a press release that might just put a smile on some faces.

Checkups. Rashes. Ear infections. Broken legs. These are conditions covered by company health plans. However if you work at Byrnes and Merz Advertising outside Philadelphia and you own a dog or cat, your pet will also have coverage for these kinds of ailments through pet medical insurance.

Apparently, Byrnes and Merz is a very "dog friendly" place to work. The agency recently provided pet health insurance for the dogs of three staff members – Golden Retrievers Maggie and Auggie, and Neil, the Yellow Lab. Agency partner John Byrnes said the dogs are “really part of the agency. They add a calming effect to a `dog-eat- dog' business."

Byrnes & Merz' affection for dogs goes beyond the pet insurance. The agency's website, byrnesandmerz.com features an animated dog who appears in different settings throughout the site. A recent new business mailing included a dog tag stamped with the agency's website and the latest staff retreat featured an afternoon of bowling - called the "Dog Bowl" complete with T-shirts that featured an illustration of the "web dog."

On a side note, Maggie even got a ride in a limousine when the agency provided a "day of beauty" to its female employees at a local spa. However she was dropped at home on the way to the spa. Next time she hopes to get a pedicure.

Isn’t advertising grand?