Meet The Office Dogs

MEET MERU

Meru has been coming to work since 2019. She was adopted right before covid and has now spent most of her life as a 9-5 working girl. She enjoys the company-provided lunches when she is allowed to have a bite. She shares an office space with one of her favorite coworkers (Liz), who always gives the good scritches and lets her lick her yogurt container clean when she is finished with it. If she does come into work, you can find her either sharing a chair with her mom Melissa, on her mountain of dog beds she's acquired over the years, or in the dog park keeping it free of squirrels. If you approach her and say hi, she will say hi back - louder. But pets and treats are always welcome.

MEET JAMBALAYA & GUMBO

Jambalaya joined the team in July 2016, after coming up from Mississippi on the Huron Valley Humane Society's "Rescue Waggin'" (Now HVHS partners with the Love Train). With her she brought dogversity to the company as the first mixed-breed office dog, joining Heidi the Newfoundland and Ellie the Greyhound. Her hunting skills earned her a permanent spot in the office by eradicating the long-problematic groundhog population, allowing the office garden to flourish. She's been featured in multiple company videos, and is proud to hold the role of the office dog most likely to bark at somebody.

Gumbo came to the Humane Society in Michigan in 2017 after a series of floods left him displaced in Tennessee. A family adopted him, but they returned him with a list of issues: he wasn't good with men, kids, cars or other dogs. Not easily discouraged - and driven by the fact he looked like Ricky's other dog, Jambalaya - cis male workmates and roommates Rich and Ricky drove to Sterling Heights, Michigan, with Jambalaya. There, it was promptly clear Gumbo was the sweetest boy who didn't deserve the reputation he had been given.

So Gumbo joined the T-shirt Company Dog Force, confusing employees and customers alike because there were now two red merle dogs of the same size and pattern, both with one brown and one blue eye. Gumbo likes smelling flowers, exploring the outer reaches of the park, sun bathing, getting pets, and kissing his best friend, Walter. He also tries his best to nurture baby bunnies that happen to nest in the dog park, but is always disappointed when he returns to discover they have moved. He's also secretly the best hunter of the pack.

MEET WALLY

Walter came to Jerry and his family from a rescue at 16 weeks old as a "lab pointer mix," and is very clearly a pit mix. When he's not at the office chasing groundhogs and making out with Gumbo, he helps tend to three human sisters, whom he is very gentle with.

MEET TRUMAN

Truman was adopted from the Humane Society of Huron Valley in February 2023 and is a very gentle, good, and sweet boy. His favorite foods are sweet potato and pizza. He also responds to Herman or Sherman or Sherbet.

MEET BOGAN & MAEBY

Bogan is a reservation dog from Colorado. While he grew up roaming the land and eating whatever he could find, you'd never guess it by the way he acts like an entitled prince. Rich and his wife adopted him in 2019 while living in Colorado, and he quickly became their adventure buddy. Nearly every weekend, he hiked alongside them, happily pulling Rich up mountain trails as if he were part sled dog.

Despite his dramatic personality, he's a very good boy. He always seems to know when someone isn't feeling well or is having a rough day, and he'll quietly come lie down beside them, resting his head on whatever part of them is closest. He can play fetch for hours or happily nap the day away. Bogan is deeply loved by everyone who knows him.

Maeby is a wild girl. Rich and his wife welcomed her into the family in 2021, and she's been keeping them on their toes ever since. She still carries some of the trauma from her previous homes and has a strong herding instinct. While she may be a little hesitant around strangers at first, once she gets to know you, she loves you completely.

You'll never meet a more fiercely loyal dog. As long as she gets her 5-mile run every other day, she's as happy as can be. On some days, Rich and his wife have split runs with her totaling more than 20 miles, and she'll still come home with enough energy for a round of zoomies in the backyard. She has come a long way since joining the family. Bogan has been an incredibly patient big brother and a wonderful role model, helping her build confidence and learn that people, and life, can be pretty great. Watching her grow into the confident, happy dog she is today has been one of the most rewarding parts of having her in the family.

MEET OLLIE

Oliver "Ollie" Schroeder was rescued from an Amish Puppy Mill in rural Minnesota, where he spent his first months eating from a shared bucket with dozens of other dogs in subpar conditions. It's believed he's part Australian Shepherd, part Spaniel, but DNA tests have been inconclusive (failing 5 times to identify a breed). He was adopted by his mother, Celina, who taught him how to jump rope with her and play hockey - as any good Minnesota dog should. A couple years into his life he was diagnosed with epilepsy, which is medically under control now and he's been seizure free since!

His mom moved the family to Ann Arbor, where they met owner and dogsitter Ricky. Ricky now brings Ollie to Ann Arbor Tees, where he is often mistaken for a wild bear scavenging through the trash baskets, or as a bear rug when he's lying down. Ollie also likes to hog the ball in the park, until it's too hot or until there are delicious rabbit pellets to eat. He also likes to play a "lap dog" with our CFO Tony. He also likes to wiggle his butt whenever anyone approaches the dog area - just in case they need somebody to give a treat to.