Dogs in the workplace

Calling all dog lovers far and wide, it’s the day you’ve all been waiting for… Bring your dog to work day! Take your four-legged friend along with you to work on Friday 24th of June. (If your company allows it of course.)

The love and affection we share with dogs have made them key parts of our families; and since they’ve been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and loneliness; the benefits of sharing our lives with dogs have a very real impact on our lives. Witnessing the sad look on your dog’s face as you leave for work is heartbreaking, therefore, in 1999, Pet Sitters International made it an official day dedicated to bringing your dog to work with you!

The day was created to encourage businesses to allow dogs in the workplace for one Friday each year to celebrate our cherished companions and promote more adoptions. Here in the UK, an ethical pet product company called Hownd founded ‘Bring Your Dog to Work Day’ in 2014 as an annual nationwide event that raises money for many dog welfare charities. The ever-growing impact of social media has led to the event becoming a viral hit with thousands of businesses and dog owners taking part every year!

The two charities they support are ‘All Dogs Matter’ and ‘Animals Asia’. ‘All Dogs Matter’ is a London based rescue and rehoming charity doing their best to help more than 400 dogs every year. ‘Animals Asia’ is an international charity devoted to preventing the practice of bear bile farming and improving the welfare of dogs and cats in China and Vietnam.

Bella Lockwood hard at work in the OM office

For such a fun day and to support many good causes it seems like a no-brainer to want to participate but before you rock up on the day with your dog there are some things that we advise checking first. The most obvious would be finding out if your workplace allows dogs at all, it’s worth referring to your company’s policy.

Once you have confirmed that dogs are allowed in the workplace, you can then approach your boss to pitch the day to them. With the high percentage of dog owners in the UK, there’s a good chance that your boss may be quite happy to allow the day to go ahead.

Evie & Dexter at Elsie Boo-tique

Don’t forget to bring a water bowl, a lead, toys, no.2 bags, food and a comfy bed for them to relax on and you’re good to go!

The team at OM celebrate ‘Bring Your Dog to Work Day’ every day. Myles, the Managing Director brings Bella to work with him each day. Bella loves to greet our visitors and make sure the staff are well looked after. She is always available for her belly to be rubbed and a ball to be thrown.

Paris, owner and founder of Elsie Boo-tique Wax Melts brought her two sausage dog puppies into the shop every day when they first opened which was a great way for her to keep an eye on the dogs whilst running the shop. She still brings them in from time to time now.

Paris’ cat ‘Elsie’ was the inspiration to her business name ‘Elsie boo-tique’.