Wags and whiskers, tails and ticket sales! We’ve fetched even more cuties for you in part three of our series on pets in ticketing. After profiling a pack of stars in parts one and two, we promised more — and we’re not kitten around! In this edition, we’ve got dogs and cats who would be purrfect at greeting guests, handling customer service resolutions, multitasking, running settlement reports, managing staff, touring venues and more. Get ready to be bow-wowed by their talent!
Parker — Greeter
This mix breed is named after right fielder Dave Parker, a seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star and member of two World Series championship teams.
“His DNA is American Pitbull Terrier, Rottie, Staffy, Blackmouth Cur, and Rhodesian Ridgeback,” says Amber Patton-Quartz, Ticketing and Box Office Manager for The Pullo Center at the time of publishing, who will be seeking new opportunities, after 17 years at The Pullo, beginning Nov. 1. “Just like his breed mix, he is a handful! But he is a love bug!”
Parker was saved from being euthanized on Christmas Eve 2022. He was adopted by Amber and her husband three weeks later. “He's a survivor — cue Destiny's Child,” Amber says. “His favorite pastime is waiting at the neighborhood bus stop every day, eager to greet the kids and lick their faces as they get off the bus.”
The ticketing job for this love bug seems obvious. Amber says, “He would be the greeter at the ticket office because he loves everyone and everything!”
Spencer — Customer Service or Resolution Window
Riley — Settlement Reports
Lottie Bergström, Director of Product Solutions at Ticketmaster, has two feline office mates. They are both tabby cats.
“I got the boys over lockdown when I was furloughed,” Lottie says. “Riley is a super sweet stress ball. He’s very anxious. We actually got Spencer to be Riley’s emotional support cat. Spencer is a sweet ball of cuddles.”
What if these two kitties had jobs in ticketing?
“Spencer could work a resolution window or customer service calming people down. Riley would take his ball of stress to run settlement reports,” Lottie says, laughing.
Check out more photos of Riley and Spencer on Instagram @riley_and_spencer.
Fabio — Executive Director
Kathleen Petrillo-Bair works two remote ticketing jobs as a full-time Customer Service Specialist for Ludus and a part-time Ticketing Agent for Spectrum Ticketing. Her assistants, including Fabio (pictured below), are always slacking off.
“Fabio is very independent and loving … He’s got the best personality, and it’s like he can see into a different dimension,” Kathleen says, adding that he can open doors and let himself outside.
It seems Fabio has strong problem-solving skills and a knack for getting himself out into the community, even in his rural setting. These traits make him a purrfect fit for the live events role Kathleen believes would suit him best. “I could see Fabio being the Executive Director. He would boss everyone around.”
She continues, “I’ve worked with two or three executive directors who would say, ‘I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but we can do it.’ Fabio would be that way. He would be great on stage because he loves to be looked at and could definitely give the pre-show talk with no problem. Then he would just take off and say, ‘You guys figure out the rest.’”
Milky — TICKET Office Manager
Brookie — INTERN
Kathleen says that Fabio’s brother Milky would definitely be a ticket office manager. Here he is in his corner office.
“Milky could tell people what to do and teach them how to do it. We have a kitten named Brookie who pretty much doesn’t come near us. She is a feral kitten that [Fabio and Milky] brought home. We saved her, and she lives inside the house. We were able to capture her, get her fixed and get her shots. She will not go outside or come up to us but never leaves Milky’s side. Milky is teaching Brookie how to be less fearful and how to hunt. It’s like he’s her sensei. So, I could see Milky being a really good manager and showing someone the ropes.”
Both Milky and Fabio have brought home stray kittens more than once. It’s like they’re busy building their own ticketing teams. And Milky is showing Brookie the ropes, so she would be a great ticket office intern.
Brookie and Milky
Teddy — Supervisor
This rescue tabby may not know he’s a cat, Cate Foltin, Business Manager at Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, says. “He sits upright quite often … His sitting-up pose reminds me of a [ticketing] supervisor going, ‘And then the patron said what?’”
After several years of patience (Teddy had been abused before Cate adopted him in December 2020), he’s a fully confident, bossy boy who loves to be petted and brushed and always stays close to his mom. These days, he sleeps nearby with one eye on Cate when she works remotely.
“His backstory is sad, but I’m glad to say that he is now fully spoiled and the boss of the house. Having come into the home during the height of the COVID shutdown, he has been my remote work supervisor since day one,” Cate shares. “He tends to check out Teams meetings to see who is on screen. Same with video calls. He is also always watching from the back of the sofa (my sofa cushions will never be the same), just to be sure I’m working (or maybe to see if treats are coming his way). And he has elevated the supervisor side-eye to an art form.”
Oxford — Multitasker
Dani Rose, Managing Director for Art-Reach, moonlights at the Delaware Theatre Company ticket office. Her spouse, Scott, is the lighting supervisor and takes their dog, Oxford Rose Cocchiaro, an 11-year-old Pitbull-hound mix, to work every day. Here is Oxford saying hello to some colleagues.
And here he is standing in the boxing ring for a show called "Dare To Be Black" with Dani’s spouse, Scott.
“Oxford thinks it is too loud in the production areas, so he has a permanent seat (a chair with no legs) in the Box Office Manager’s office, and that’s where he reports for duty each day,” Dani shares.
She says, “He is the sweetest, most gentle, goofiest boy. He loves people and really loves making people laugh. His calm, chill energy is very welcome, and he provides kisses and deep pressure therapy to anyone who sits near him. He is very smart and has a wide vocabulary, several tasks that he's trying to perform, and is a very empathetic soul.”
Those “several tasks” include many roles at Delaware Theatre Company, where he could easily work in the box office, as an admin and assistant lighting dog. What traits does he bring to these roles?
“The most critical role Oxford plays at the company is advising and managing morale. He brings instant joy and calm to everyone who works at the theater. He is very experienced at holding down and warming up the rugs in the room, encourages all food waste to be distributed to him for disposal, and is there to spread calm and ensure that all meetings and discussions remain calm,” Dani shares.
She continues, “For the box office, he greets customers, whines at the ticket printer to let you know it has finished printing and follows the house management staff around to ensure the theater is thoroughly checked and cleansed of any crumbs. Oxford also works with the stage management staff to ensure that actors are kept in a positive mood, that they do not eat their full meals alone and always share, and to make sure that someone in the green room is cleaning up.”
Dani says, “For the lighting department, Oxford sits directly in the hotspot of any light that you’re focusing, follows along with the crew as they hang the lighting positions, although is very scared of the stairs to the catwalk and will wait at the bottom and sing you a whining song until you return. He also holds down the carpet in the education office, which is critical to their curriculum planning. He provides hugs, kisses and cuddles during tech and long days. And reminds everyone to take breaks, walk outside, laugh a little (because he's so goofy), drink plenty of water, and be their best selves.”
To best supervise the full staff, Oxford makes rounds during shifts to ensure everyone is working efficiently. In addition to the Box Office Manager’s office, each admin office has a chair positioned lower to the ground, designated as Oxford's chair. He moves from office to office, sitting in his various assigned chairs, overseeing the staff to make sure they uphold the company’s values and mission.
Oxford wears a harness with patches bearing his name and "Best Friend," making it clear to everyone what his role is.
Earlier in his career, Oxford was given permission to pick up extra shifts at the Ticket Philadelphia call center. His time there was short because he would often whimper. “His whines were being recorded in the calls, so instead he worked as Linda Forlini’s assistant, following her around and not leaving her side for the rest of the day. He attended meetings with Linda, sat in her office and helped her write emails, and whined with her while she answered a few phone calls.”
Linda Forlini with Oxford before her retirement.
Peanut — Ticket Runner or Floor Cleaner
This adorable little guy is believed to be a terrier-Brittany spaniel mix. “He was found abandoned in the street in April and was scared, hungry, dirty and very underweight,” Shawn Robertson says. “We attempted to see if he was chipped or was posted anywhere as missing. Once we did that with no results, my boyfriend, Tony, decided we needed to give him a good home. We have loved him as ours ever since.”
Shawn and Peanut.
If Peanut had a job in the ticket office, what would it be and why? “Ticket runner,” Shawn says without hesitation. “He loves to fetch. He does have a habit of not letting go, though, so the tickets might be a bit chewed up. Thankfully digital tickets are an option.”
Shawn says, “When we play fetch in the house, he has a habit of dropping the toy off the couch on to the floor and then stares at us to throw it again like that is how fetch works. But if we try and take it from him before he drops it, he wants to play tug of war. Fortunately, he is only 10.5 pounds, so really it is just him tugging and me scrolling through my phone with my other hand until he lets go. Then we throw and the cycle starts all over again.”
Peanut playing with his toy bag of Atlanta Braves peanuts. Shawn made this purchase in July after the INTIX Board meeting at Truist Park.
“His other job [in the ticket office] would be floor cleaner,” Shawn says. “When we eat, he sits on the floor under us, hoping to clean up any food we accidentally drop. We don’t give him people food on purpose, but as we get older, our hands sometimes have the dropsies.”
Marceline (‘Marcy’) — Barks Office Assistant
This beautiful Mudi, a Hungarian herding dog, lives with Matt Camden, Director of Ticketing for MAMMOTH. Matt and his wife got Marcy during the pandemic when the world was closed.
“She got to go everywhere with me,” Matt recalls. “We were doing pod seating shows, socially distanced shows or going in for venue maintenance. She actually got to go to more concert venues than pretty much any human during lockdown … [and] she regularly gets to travel with me to venues throughout the Midwest.”
Marcy doesn’t forget her all-access laminate when she visits The Ledge Amphitheater in Waite Park, Minnesota.
Another photo of Marcy at The Ledge Amphitheater.
Marcy is incredibly playful and loves being the center of attention. At every venue she visits, she’ll pawsition herself at just the right door, ensuring she gets the most pets from people coming in and out. She’s also not camera-shy at all!
Marcy at Azura Amphitheater in Kansas City, Missouri.
Marcy hanging out in the lawns at Azura Amphitheater.
Marcy on stage at Azura Amphitheater.
If Marcy had a job in ticketing, what would it be?
“She's definitely the Barks Office Assistant because she just loves being around her people and feeling like she's involved in everything … But I know she's gunning for a promotion to Chief Morale Officer because anytime I take her somewhere, I can't tell you how many people will say, ‘Oh, my God, I'm so glad there was a dog here today. It just made my day.’”
Marcy at The Astro Theater/Amphitheater in Omaha, Nebraska.
Marcy inside The Astro.
Artemis — Ticket Scanner (lasers!)
Watson — Ticket Printing and Customer Service
Artemis and Watson are five-year-old domestic shorthair brothers who were left at the shelter at the same time together. Artemis is an energetic tuxedo cat, and Watson is a playful black cat with a penchant for yelling. They live with Sam Chacon, Client Service Specialist and QA for Tixly — US.
If these kitties had a job in the ticket office, what would their purrfect roles be?
“Artemis would definitely be involved as an extra ticket scanner on the night of shows. He has a strong obsession with lasers and would know just how to use them,” Sam says.
He continues, “Watson would be involved in ticket printing. Any electronic device that makes noise, whirs or buzzes needs his full attention. No tickets would get lost on his watch. Alternatively, he would be excellent at handling any customers who might need a stern explanation of policies and rules.”
“The one thing they wouldn't be good at would be working classical music shows,” Sam says. “We've had to change our house playlists to exclude instrumental music as Watson won't stand [for] it. Thankfully, they are very open to musicals.”
Editor’s Note: Are you open to more pets in ticketing? Yes! That’s music to our ears. Stay tuned for part four, coming soon to INTIX Access.
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