Bring Your Dog to work Day

The saddest time of the day for most is waving goodbye to their furry friend as they leave for the working day. While there are gadgets and gizmos that give you a means of watching your puppy through a webcam from the office computer or on your phone, it’s just not the same as having them by your side; and I’m sure they feel the same way too.

Bring Your Dog to Work Day is an annual nationwide event that raises money for charities dedicated to making a difference to the welfare of dogs. The day was first established in 2014 and encourages all business and employees to get involved in what has become the nation’s best day out for dogs.

Founded by pet grooming product manufacturer Hownd, the aim for 2019 is to raise money for All Dogs Matter and Animals Asia. All Dogs Matter is a charity that rescues, rehabilitate and re-home dogs in and around London, and find homes for dogs in need from overseas. Animals Asia is an international charity devoted to ending the barbaric practice of bear bile farming, as well as improving the welfare of dogs and cats in China and Vietnam.

Bringing your dog to work can have a lot of great benefits.

Miss. Ellie sleeping on the job!

According to a study that took place at a company with around 450 employees, and approximately 20 to 30 dogs, they found that “the employees as a whole had higher job satisfaction than industry norms.” Tricia Kennedy – Business Owner of Mortgages4Plymouth – says her dog Miss Ellie is a great addition to her team:

“Miss Ellie meets and greats all our clients, and gets lots of cuddles. Clients who come in with children love to play with her, while their parents relax with a cup of coffee and talk about the type of mortgage that would suit them.

“All my staff love having her in the office, and spend time playing ball with her. Happy staff, happy clients, happy dog.”

Not only does having your dog at work reduce stress that owners may feel from leaving their pooch at home, it can encourage a lot of other positive health benefits.

Whether you own a dog or not, petting a dog has proven to reduce stress. Pet ownership also generally includes fewer visits to the doctor, lower cholesterol and improved heart health; meaning if an employer allows their employees to bring their dog to work, they may be rewarded with fewer sick days from staff!

However, make sure to consider whether your working environment is suitable for your pup before embracing the dog and work-life culture, such as factoring in that some of your colleagues may be allergic to dogs. If you’ve made sure to consider all of the contributing factors – and of course, run it by your boss first – then you’re all set to give your dog a job for the day!

Bring Your Dog to Work Day is a great opportunity to raise money for charity, while also being hugely beneficial for employee productivity and well-being.

OM’s very own office dogs, Bella and Stevie

Here at OM, we embrace Bring Your Dog to Work Day every day, with our very own office dogs Bella and Stevie (pictured above). For us, having the two pups as part of our everyday working routine creates a happy and healthy office environment for all of the team and those who pay us a visit.

For more information on Bring Your Dog to Work Day and how you can get involved, visit: www.bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk