HDC had previously posted a blog on the benefits of having a dog in the office, but what about bringing a dog onto the job site? It turns out that HDC’s office dogs have a long history of tagging along to job sites, especially those located in rural areas or near parks. Here’s a summary of the adventures of Bagle, Donut, and Ziti on job sites.
Bagle the Beagle
Bagle was with the office from 1992 to 2004. During the 1990s, HDC conducted numerous historic building inventories and evaluations for the Wayne National Forest in southern and southeastern Ohio. In one memorable trip she had to be carried over the metal pedestrian bridge over the creek because instead of a deck, it had rungs like a ladder. On the return trip, Bagle chose to cross the shallow waters. Bagle also got posed in front of numerous monuments in Washington D.C. as well as HDC’s first project with the State of Ohio and our first new construction project, the 7,000-square-foot outpatient center in Hamilton, Ohio.
At left, Bagle the Beagle referees a chess game in Washington, D.C. in 2000 and at right, in front of Sojourner Center in Hamilton, Ohio, in 2001.
Donut the Beagle
Donut’s tenure with HDC lasted from 2004 to 2018. During this time, HDC worked on many projects for ODOT and completed our first project with ODNR at the Day Lodge in John Bryan State Park. Donut came to many meetings in John Bryan State Park. If it was cool she stayed in the car. If it was warm she ended up under a big tree tethered to the picnic table. On warm days she could hear the meeting in progress through the open windows and barked loudly to express her displeasure at being left out. As a result, meetings finished quickly so that “poor Donut” could go for her walk in the park. Donut’s biggest contribution to the office was to bark while president Charissa Durst was on the phone with an ODOT auditor, who was demanding more paperwork to support a change order. Once the auditor was told the “noise” was the office beagle, he calmed down and mentioned he had a beagle growing up and assured us he would take care of the change order. Our payment arrived within a week!
At left, Donut poses next to a statue of Fala at the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 2010, and at right, by the Day Lodge porch in John Bryan State Park in 2017.
Ziti the Noodle Dog
Since Ziti grew up with her littermates for 9.5 weeks, she is used to being surrounded by others. We used to joke that Donut had FOMO (fear of missing out), but Ziti definitely has a fear of being left out! As a result, she accompanies Charissa Durst everywhere she goes, even if Ziti just ends up waiting in the car in a parking garage. Fieldwork trips where Ziti was a big hit with clients she met on site at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in South Point, Mount Zion Baptist Church in Athens, and the Lathrop House in Sylvania. Ziti loves when our projects are located in parks!
At left is Ziti at the Lathrop House in 2020, which is in Harroun Park in Sylvania and at right she is in front of the Meade House in 2021, which is in the Meade Historic Preserve in Symmes Township.
At left, Donut poses next to a statue of Fala at the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 2010, and at right, by the Day Lodge porch in John Bryan State Park in 2017.
At left is Ziti at the Lathrop House in 2020, which is in Harroun Park in Sylvania and at right she is in front of the Meade House in 2021, which is in the Meade Historic Preserve in Symmes Township.