The Department of the Interior will allow employees to bring their dogs to work

Dogs at Department of Interior.
(Image credit: John Pratt/Getty Images)

The Trump administration has gone to the dogs in the best possible way. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced Thursday that his department will be the first to allow employees to bring their pups to the office. The policy, called "Doggy Days at Interior," will "launch with test runs at the agency's Washington headquarters on two Fridays in May and September," The Washington Post writes.

In a letter to the Interior Department's staff, Zinke wrote about how much his own 18-month-old Havanese, Ragnar, means to him. "Opening the door each evening and seeing him running at me is one of the highlights of my day," Zinke said. "I can't even count how many miles I've driven across Montana with [him] riding shotgun, or how many hikes and river floats [my wife] Lola and I went on with the little guy. But I can tell you it was always better to have him."

The Interior Department has 70,000 employees across the country, resulting in an unknown number of eligible dogs. Employees who might be uncomfortable with a dog-filled office, though, will have "other flexibilities" on the days when dogs are allowed, including the possibility of telework, Zinke said.

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Zinke notably rode a horse to work on his first day as interior secretary, although there are no plans for "Horsey Days at Interior" just yet.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.