cially people from out of town — and they ask if this is the place with the great Dane,” Jones said. “They remember that this is the right shop where they stopped before. It makes a mark in their memory.”
Flossy, the cat at the dental office Some people visit the dental office of Anthony J. Tabone, D.D.S. in Auburn for more than just a cleaning or filling. Flossy the cat and her three feline friends, Slick, Walla and Soffi, draw some patients to the office. Somehow, the office has become a magnet for stray cats. Tabone said that for the past 20 years, he has both housed cats at the office and at his home. He has also found homes for about 300 strays. “This seems to be a haven for strays and we’re suckers for animals,” he said. “It’s something we feel we have to do. We try to give them the best life they could ask for. The majority are skittish. It’s hard to see an animal looking at you wanting help but it is too afraid.” He maintains a place for the cats in the back, vaccinates them and feeds them. The cats live at the dental office. “We are cognizant of patients’ allergies,” Tabone said. “If you walk in, you wouldn’t know we had an animal in here. We have an older woman who comes in just to pet the cats, not even on a day where she has treatments. She comes in to play with the cats for about an hour.” Nervous patients sometimes visit with the kitties to relieve their anxiety. So far, no interviewees for positions at the office has mentioned cat allergies. Tabone asks within the first 10 minutes. “One hundred percent of the people are excited we have cats,” he said. “One hygienist interviewed because of our relationship with cats. She specifically came here because of the cats. Without fail, there has not been anyone to my knowledge who has said ‘Why do you do that?’” The employees enjoy petting cats during down time as a means of stress relief. The cats do not roam the office, but patients can interact with the cats whenever they would like. Tabone compares his cats with therapy dogs in hospitals. “I’ve had my share of people tell me that why they chose our office is that we have a unique quality to it,” Tabone 38
Gail Jones, owner of DeVine Designs by Gail in Fulton, with Kooper, one of her four dogs at her shop: “Kooper has more fans than I do,” Holmes says. “People now come in to see the dogs, especially Kooper.
Flossy is one of four cats that greet patients at the dental office of Anthony J. Tabone, D.D.S. in Auburn. “We’re suckers for animals,” Tabone says. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2020
