The Bark

I got very nostalgic when I found this month's Bark magazine to have a spread on the old-timey carnival chalkware figurines. My grandmother had a collection of these and I remember looking at them through the glass of an old oak display case. Given away as Midway prizes in the '40s and '50s, you really can't find many of these around anymore (except for Ebay and maybe a few antique shops of course), but I still get a smile on my face looking at the soft colors of the animal trinkets. They are certainly a far cry from the stuffed animal prizes you get at carnivals now!

I've listed a few of my favorites here, and I'm even considering starting a collection of my own! All of my selections were found on Ebay, so if you want to get your hands on one, start bidding now!

I'm a huge fan of The Bark magazine, not only because it's based here on the West Coast, but they consistently report great info and news for dogs and their owners. In this month's issue – just in time for Take Your Dog to Work Day coming up on June 20 – Bark dug into the nation's most pet-friendly workplaces and came up with their top four faves. Not only does this story have me wanting to make a little space for North by my desk here at Sugar HQ, but it also has me saying "Awww!" since you know that both owners and pets have a blast at work every day!

• Amazon: Anywhere from 24 to 36 dogs come to work daily at the Seattle, WA, headquarters. Owners must first register their pups and agree to rules like keeping vaccines up to date and staying on a leash — unless they're in their office, of course.
• Healthwise: This Boise, ID, company that employs around 200 people have welcomed pets in the office since day one in 1975. Doggies must adhere to a "three-strikes" rule, ensuring that problem pooches get adequate warning before being booted. But with the miles of hiking trails that surround the complex, the pups seem to be too content (or just too tired) to cause trouble.

To see the remaining two dog-loving companies, just read more