Different Kind of Working Dog

At Waldorf Law Office, Buster Makes the Clients Feel Right at Home

Don't be alarmed if a 12-pound, furry white dog jumps onto the couch next to you at the Waldorf law office of Greisman & Carroll. He is neither seeking nor dispensing legal advice.

He's just Buster, a 6-year-old bichon frise who is a regular around the office. On Friday, his presence was celebrated as a part of Take Your Dog to Work Day, an event sponsored by Pet Sitters International to raise awareness about dogs in need of homes and to showcase the companionship that pets provide, said Terry Chance, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina-based group.

Chance didn't have a specific figure on the number of businesses participating in the nationwide event, but she said it was thousands; about 50,000 people visited the group's Web site last year seeking registration information.

Mary Sue Greisman, Buster's owner and one of two lawyers at Greisman & Carroll, said Buster is always welcome at their office, whether it's Take Your Dog to Work Day or not.

"We're not a typical law firm," Greisman said, "but I don't care."

Greisman and her legal partner (and ex-husband), Martin Carroll, have been bringing Buster to the office since he was a puppy. Until recently, Buster had a partner in crime. Jezzabelle, a female bichon six years Buster's senior, developed a reputation around the office for snagging gum out of clients' purses and snatching bananas out of secretaries' lunches. She died in May, Greisman said.

"They had their own little following," she said. "The people would bring dog treats and stuffed animals."

Buster's time at the office is the only time Carroll gets to see him, except on dog-sitting duty. After he and Greisman divorced, Greisman got "custody" of the dogs, as she jokingly puts it.

"I'm happy that she does, quite frankly," Carroll said, but he added that he is also happy to take care of the dog whenever needed.

If Buster couldn't come to work, the lawyers would probably have to sell him, Carroll said. Because they often work long days, it would be impossible to give Buster the care and attention he needs, he said.

Carroll and Greisman said their clients don't mind the dog. If anything, they said, Buster puts nervous visitors with difficult legal problems at ease.

"When they see that we have a dog, they feel more comfortable with us as lawyers," Carroll said. "Basically, we're representing your average citizen. It turned out when they saw we had an animal, for the most part, they could relate to that."

At the office Friday afternoon, Buster lounged on the couch in the lobby next to a stack of magazines, grooming himself, scratching his head occasionally and springing to the door whenever he heard someone walk past. Except for the receptionist and a shelf of law books about 10 feet from him, it was almost like Buster was at home.

"This business is like a family business," Carroll said. "So the dog's part of the family."