‘Let Chubbs Stay’

December 11, 2024
• A new town-wide practice restricts town employees from bringing their pets into the workplace, which has disappointed some community members.

Chubbs the 7-year-old cavapoo is a regular at the Center at the Heights, where his owner Aicha Kelley works and where Chubbs himself performs his own duties. Visitors and members of the CATH say Chubbs provides comfort and unofficial therapy for those he encounters.

Under a new guideline, however, Chubbs and other employees’ pets are no longer allowed in town-owned buildings. Some town staffers have until Jan. 1 to arrange petcare for their pets. The rule does not apply to therapy or service dogs.

The practice and its impact on Chubbs has generated recent attention on social media after Pam Steinfeld posted about it on the Needham Facebook page, prompting an email-writing campaign to Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick to “Let Chubbs Stay.”

The town received 20 emails on the matter as of 1 p.m. Wednesday, said Amy Haelsen, director of communications and community engagement.

Needham’s Human Resources Department informed municipal employees of the rule in October, citing the desire “to ensure a comfortable and productive work environment,” the town wrote in a statement. The town also cited allergies and other sensitivities as motivations behind the practice. Trained service dogs, such as the Needham Police Department K-9s Rocket and Ghost, will still be permitted on town property.

While Haelsen does not believe the town manager’s office has received complaints specific to Chubbs, the new practice comes after expressed concern.

“What precipitated this were some instances in town-owned buildings in which employees were bringing pets to the workplace, and it was creating a situation that was either uncomfortable or created distractions for others in the workplace as well as the public,” Haelsen said.

Kelley, who is the assistant director of programming and transportation at the CATH, declined to comment for this story, but she noted that Chubbs has visited the CATH since he was six months old.

CATH Executive Director LaTanya Steele also declined to comment.

Caren Carpenter, who volunteers at the CATH three days a week, considers Chubbs a local “celebrity.” The dog possesses a special ability to make people feel better, Carpenter said, and many come to the CATH expecting to greet him and give him treats.

Chubbs is well-behaved, “sweet and cuddly” and rarely makes any noise, Carpenter said. He is also hypoallergenic, according to Carpenter and other CATH members. Should Chubbs no longer be allowed there, she said “people would be devastated.”

“I just feel like the decision is hurting a very vulnerable population,” Carpenter said. “He’s such a beloved presence here.”

It’s unclear how many other municipal employees bring their pets into work, but Haelsen estimated about a handful do so. The practice applies to every town-owned building, including Town Hall, the Rosemary Recreation Complex and the Public Services Administration Building.

The town could reconsider its decision with Chubbs if he were to become a certified therapy dog, Haelsen said. The Needham Free Public Library and the Council on Aging do host therapy dogs for different programming, and their presence in town buildings will not be impacted, Haelsen said.

In the meantime, Haelsen suggested the CATH consider increased visits from certified therapy or service dogs.

“We know that [Chubbs] has brought comfort and enjoyment to members of the Council on Aging, but again, it would be difficult to make decisions about which pets would be allowed and which aren’t on a case-by-case basis.”

In her email to Fitzpatrick, Carpenter wrote that losing Chubbs “will be felt very deeply by the Center and many people will be saddened and heartbroken at this news.” She said she hopes the town comes to a different decision.

“I see how much the members and the staff — I just see how much Chubbs is loved,” Carpenter said to Needham Local, “and I just feel like it’d be wrong to just take Chubbs away without trying to figure out a solution.”