Take your dog to work day
Your dog could have a new career as he heads off to the office with you. Stress
manager and buster, meet and greet committee, networker, building strong relationships
in the office – he could do it all.
Take Your Dog to Work Day is organised by the pet charity the Blue Cross and sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of this now global event! Dogs take part in countries from Canada to Portugal, Cameroon to Pakistan. In 2004, over 3,000 dog lovers registered for the day. Joining companies included BUPA – over the last 5 years, the Blue Cross has noticed that the most likely sector to get involved in the day is that of healthcare, an indication perhaps of their belief that pets benefit people. The Halifax, Networkrail signalmen and a Port Authority harbour master have all also got involved.
This year, dance teacher Charlene Towner will take Mollie, her one year old German shepherd with her. She says: “This is a great day for both the dogs and owners. It allows the dogs to integrate with society and promotes the relationship that people and animals can have.”
The aims of the day are:
- To show that dogs have a positive effect on the mental and physical well-being of people around them
- To invite dog owners to consider ways in which they can spend more time with their dogs
- To raise money for the Blue Cross as it works to care for sick and unwanted animals
An NOP survey carried out for the Blue Cross revealed that:
- 90% of employers who allow dogs at work have noticed a positive change in the working environment since canines came in;
- some businesses even noticed a decrease in absenteeism
- 82% of GPs questioned said pets help people relax
The simple act of stroking a dog lowers blood pressure.
Jack Russells Jack and Russell will be off to work with Ellen-Ann Novak, a
medical librarian at the University of Stirling. Ellen-Ann says: “The
dogs are such stress busters. We have a cross section of medical professionals
using the library and to see busy consultants playing and relaxing with them
is great!”
Research by the Blue Cross shows that 1 million dogs are left behind while their owners head out the door to work, and many suffer from the home-alone syndrome.
Top tips to make the day successful include:
- Get permission from your boss
- Are your colleagues all happy with the idea?
- Check the insurance implications
- Will your working environment suit your dog? Is there somewhere he can relax and chill which is quiet?
- Is he housetrained?
- Find out if anyone else in the office has a dog they can bring in too. Why not take your dogs for walkies together? It could be a great new way to network!
- Take your dog’s essentials, such as drinking bowl, food, lead and bags to clean up after walkies
- Make sure he’s wearing a collar and identity tag and the Blue Cross bandana!
- Think of something you can do to raise money for the Blue Cross. They have an information pack they can send you once you’ve registered. There are lots of fund-raising ideas at www.takeyourdogtoworkday.co.uk
