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First Chief Fun Officer Jerry G. Dawg

Jerry G. Dawg was the first Chief Fun Officer at Agreda Communications, the publisher of his story Be More Dog: Learning to Live in the Now. He assumed the role of CFO at Tripawds after his people formed the online pet amputation support community in his honor when he lost a leg to osteosarcoma.

CFO Jerry at the Beach
CFO Jerry at the Beach

Who was the First Chief Fun Officer?

A Google search returns many results for “Chief Fun Officer” but to Be More Dog authors Rene and Jim, Jerry was the first. He is the one who kept them sane during their long days working to grow their home-based business. It was their CFO who encouraged them to stop and enjoy the day, rather than keep slaving away.

For a peek back in time, enjoy these excerpts from the book, accompanied by old photos of CFO Jerry and his pack.

“Devoted to showing his people how to make the most of each day, Jerry always made sure they put fun before profits. Thus, he was quickly promoted to the most important role in the pack: Chief Fun Officer.”

Be More Dog Chapter 2: Who is Raising Whom?

One of his primary tasks as CFO, was to ensure this hard-working couple got outside more often. He did this by insisting on more frequent Jerry Breaks. Lunch time would last a few minutes longer as their favorite game of soccer often became one of keep-away.

CFO Jerry Soccer Break

Jerry worked hard as Chief Fun Officer, and he did his job well. As CFO he took on the role of convincing Jim and Rene to stop banging away on their keyboards for ten hours at a stretch. Jerry patiently waited each morning, but after a couple hours, he encouraged them to get off their butts. At least twice a day they obliged, and Jerry got to play soccer.

Be More Dog Chapter 3: The CFO Years

Jerry loved to play soccer, and he made a great goalie. But once he had the ball, if he knew it was time for his people to get back to work, he would keep it. Snagging the ball from mid-flight, he would run and hide behind the big redwood stump in his yard. Jim would yell, “Drop it!” While Rene preferred to take chase. Jerry enjoyed that game the most. Leading Rene around their big yard, he would stop only to shake the ball with a whip of his head. Then they would both be off again.

CFO Jerry Soccer Break

During the dotcom heyday, those workdays would often last long into the night. Deadlines were tight, and clients were demanding. The stress often led to outbursts around the office.

And each time, Jerry fulfilled his CFO duties by diffusing the bad energy with his calm sensibility. It was the only thing that grounded them. One look into his worried eyes brought them back to reality with a reminder of what matters most.

Jim clearly remembers the time he cussed and slammed the phone down after a difficult client call. Jerry quietly walked out of the room and into Rene’s office. On his way out, he seemed to look back and shake his head with disappointment.

CFO Jerry Hard at Work
Hard at Work in the Office

Shortly thereafter, he heard Rene shout at her computer. Seconds later, Jerry came back into his, settled down on his bed, and stared up at him with soulful eyes.

He was perfect for the job of Chief Fun Officer because dogs see the world so much clearer, without complicated emotions, worry, or ego getting in the way.

Their Chief Fun Officer learned the sounds that signaled the end of the workday. Jim emptying the trash icon on his Mac and shutting off the two large monitors on his desk always got Jerry to his feet. If those sounds didn’t happen by 5:30, he would nudge the keyboard, whine at the door, or do whatever it took to get his point across.

When they weren’t typing, or drawing, or printing, or packaging, or wrapped up in other work, CFO Jerry always made sure his busy people took the time to stop and smell the roses in their yard and the sea breeze at the beach.

CFO Jerry at the Beach

The three of them spent many Friday afternoons at Samoa Beach, Jerry’s favorite place. As Chief Fun Officer, it was his job to make his people smile. And he always succeeded, whether it was during a brief Jerry Break, at the beach, or on one of their epic hiking adventures.

Hiking with CFO Jerry

More about those in future posts – once we dig up some more old photos and videos. Or, download Be More Dog now to start reading the whole story, from the beginning.

 

6 thoughts on “First Chief Fun Officer Jerry G. Dawg”

  1. <3 <3 <3 CFO we are greatly appreciative of you and what you taught your people

    xoxoxo
    Michelle, Snickers, Jazz & Angels Sassy, Bosch and Baby Simba

    Reply
  2. Love seeing things and pics of Jerry! He’s watching you guys and nudging Wyatt too bark at weird things and to kick you in his dreams! Lived you guys soooo much! Stay safe! We are 2 years past diagnosis 4/22 and doing great! Gloria, Thurston and Raffie

    Reply
    • Hey Gloria it’s so good to hear from you. It makes us happy that you love knowing about Jerry and Wyatt! Hard to believe two years have gone by. That’s wonderfully crazy! Please update Thurston’s blog, because as far as I know he is THE longest live Saint with Osteosarcoma that we know about, and we want to keep this pawty going! HIP HOP HOOORAAAY THURSTON!

      Reply
  3. I found this group when searching for information on amputations three weeks ago when my Karma was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. I had two vets tell me and visited vet webpages saying that amputation was the best course of action however, i was not convinced. I am a rehab therapist for humans and know surgeons can often make statements based on limited interactions and dont always do a great job of preparing people for initial days of recovery. This group provided me with first hand experiences and raw honesty. I went from sadness planning the euthanasia of my girl to signing up for surgery with hope. Her surgery was 1.5 weeks ago. Because of Tripawds I prepared our home appropriately and adapted all that i could. I knew what questions to ask going forward. I was unfazed by her appearance and the difficulty she had when she first came home because this group prepared me and provided pictures. My hubby on the other hand was freaked out and worried we made a horrible mistake. I coached everyone to stay up beat and positive and pay attention to the dog not to cry over her surgical region. I have been able to successfully advocate for her in terms of proper pain control and ran with the recommendations based on interviews with Dr. Downing.

    I am so incredibly grateful for this community. 🥰

    Reply

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