Pet Tales: Winnie The Salon Style Inspiration
The benefits of pets in the workplace is well documented with our furry friends credited with reducing stress, increasing creativity and productivity. For salon owner Lou Turton, her best friend Winnie is all the style inspiration she needs.
Chosen for her gentle nature and coat that doesn’t shed, Winnie has fast become Noosaville hair salon Surrender Dorothy’s most dedicated staff member. She arrives well before the door opens and spends her day comforting and cuddling willing clients.
Owner Lou said Winnie joined their family three-years-ago when she was just a puppy, so has grown surrounded by the sound of the hair drier and the snip of scissors in the salon.
Lou says she has resisted the urge to cut or dye Winnie’s hair, but her golden locks haven’t escaped the clutches of the kids. Using an all-natural wash-in colour treatment, Winnie’s coat was turned a soft pink on the same day she decided to escape the yard and head off on an adventure.
Lou laughs as she recalls her partner, who is a builder, having to walk the streets asking people if they had seen a pink dog running past. Winnie was found in Sunshine Beach, taken home for a bath and returned to the comfort of her bed.
Lou says Winnie loves people and is often drawn to those in need of a cuddle or some comfort.
“My clients just love her. Winnie will go to people that need her and just sit under their station. She will fall asleep at their feet,” she says. “Winnie is really intuitive.”
The bond between dogs and humans is so well regarded that the RSPCA has even dedicated a day to encouraging businesses to welcome dogs into the workplace.
In a statement released earlier this year to celebrate the 20th year of Take Your Dog to Work Day, the RSPCA said the day was a chance for businesses to embrace the bond between their employees and their pets.
Not every workplace can allow dogs on-site, but Lou says she loves having Winnie by her side throughout the day. Dogs have been known to help reduce workplace stress and anxiety and increase creativity, making Winnie a great addition to the Surrender Dorothy team.
Do you have a pet tale?
A funny pooch or a sassy feline, a mischievous rodent or a feathered friend that loves to chat? Email your story here along with a photo of your pet.
