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The Log • March 11 - 24, 2016 • 25 fun to the workplace


Lil’ Bitz, 3, Yorkshire terrier If you’ve stopped by Art Brooks Sea Company in


Newport Beach chances are you have met the company’s cutest staff member, Lil’ Bitz. Customers, brokers and locals often swing by the yacht brokerage to say hi to the tiny pup that has a special spot on Jerry Koch’s desk. Koch, a yacht broker with Art Brooks Sea Company, began bringing Lil’ Bitz to work two years ago after adopting the Yorkie. Back then he was so quiet that Koch had to put a bell on him. “We had him for three months before we even knew


he had a voice,” he said. The Art Brooks Sea Company is known for having pets


in the store as the company’s owner used to bring his beloved dog, Sophie, to work and Koch would bring his dog, Knick Knack, to the office as well. Lil’ Bitz is continuing the company’s puppy-friendly environment and he makes work a fun place to be, Koch said. “People come out and ask ‘where’s Bitz?’


they could care less about me,” he said. “Most customers love the little guy.” When he is not in the office, Lil’ Bitz can


be found dining at Woody’s Diner where he typically orders a hamburger. Back at the office he entertains


staff and customers by being his cute self – playing with toys, playing fetch or curling up on laps. “He knows where the office is and


gets excited whenever I tell him it’s time to go to work,” said Koch. “He’s so happy to be around us.”


Lil’ Bitz and his buddy, Lola, enjoy lounging on Jerry Koch’s desk. It’s just another day at the office for these two.


Tidbits on Lil’ Bitz Birthday Meal: Prime rib. Favorite Playmates: Lola and Minnie, who come over for doggy play dates. Last Boat Ride: His last voyage was on a 50-foot Sea Ray from Newport Beach to San Diego. Favorite Veggie: Brussel sprouts.


Shelby, 5, German Shepherd mix


the recent loss of their cat. But the German Shepherd Mix res- cue pup proved her wrong. “I saw her right away," said


Trusso as she remembered the first time she saw Shelby run- ning around in the pen. “Second Chance Dog Rescue San Diego let me take her home to meet the kids and our other cat. The cat didn’t quite like her but the kids did.” Shelby had lived with two families before finding her for- ever home. The first family returned her after realizing she was not a Chihuahua and the second family claimed allergies were the reason for not being able to keep her. Once the Trussos had her


Shelby and Paul Trusso enjoy going on walks during work hours. Trusso owns Dona Jenkins Maritime Document Service with wife, Bernadine.


When Bernadine Trusso and her family


ran an errand on Mother’s Day in 2011 she did not expect to fall in love with a 6- month-old puppy up for adoption in front of Home Depot. Trusso, vice president and owner of


Dona Jenkins Maritime Document Service in San Diego, did not feel ready to add a pet to the family as she was still mourning


they knew they’d never let her go.


“We brought her to work the day after we got her,” said


Trusso, who has owned Dona Jenkins Maritime Document Service with hus- band, Paul Trusso, since 2007. The compa- ny was established in 1983 to help vessel owners in documenting and licensing their boats. The company has a history of welcom-


ing pets to the storefront as the former owner used to bring foster kittens into the


The Dona Jenkins Maritime Document Service team pose for a photo with their beloved four-legged office mate, Shelby.


shop. Yacht brokers, neighboring business owners and employees would often stop by and feed them or bring their clients in to get a “kitten fix.” Some of those visits resulted in kitten adoptions. The store’s history of housing shop


pets continues with Shelby, who serves as a greeter. Employees have told Trusso how thera- peutic walking or just petting Shelby can be, especially during stressful days. “There is definitely a benefit to having her here,” said Trusso. “Shelby is my con-


stant companion. She is with me wherever I go.”


Tidbits about Shelby Favorite Spot: The grass fields behind Cabrillo Recreation Center and Cabrillo Elementary School. Favorite Playmates: Two kittens fostered by the Trusso family. Daily Ritual: Shelby will say bye to the three employees in the office at the end of the workday. They will give her a treat or a kiss goodbye.


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