Toledo, Ohio, drew national attention last week when a state agency gave the mayor permission to bring his dog to work.
The Ohio Building Authority originally told Mayor Carty Finkbeiner to leave his Labrador Retriever, Scout, at home.
But the agency, which owns the building that houses the mayor’s office as well as the Toledo City Council, reversed itself last week and gave Finkbeiner permission, as long as Finkbeiner keeps Scout to floors leased by the city and on a leash in common areas.
Robert Reinbolt, the mayor’s chief of staff, said the action only applies to the mayor due to specific conditions. Reinbolt would not detail those conditions, but Mark Haberman, the assistant director of the Ohio Building Authority, told the Associated Press that the agency decided to allow Scout in the building because Finkbeiner said he needs the dog for stress reduction.
When questioned by a local TV news reporter, Brian Schwartz, the mayor’s public information officer, acknowledged that Scout is a pet and companion, not a therapy dog.
Haberman said the Ohio Building Authority has not received any complaints about Scout from building occupants.