BRING YOUR DOG TO WORK DAY
Cover Story
PAWSOME PARTNERS By Anita Jaynes
Friday 24th June is Bring Your Dog To Work Day . # BringYourDogToWorkDay
Established in 2014 by ethical pet product company HOWND ® , 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 animals . Thousands of businesses and dog owners join in the viral fun in what has become the nation ’ s best day out ( or in ) for dogs . This year the day is raising funds for three charities , All Dogs Matter , Animals Asia and Surge Sanctuary . Individuals and businesses can donate to the ‘ day ’ if they wish .
Pandemic Pups
Anita and her dog Prince the Rough Collie
For more info : wwwbringyourdogtoworkday . co . uk
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The Dogs Trust ’ s most recent survey revealed a massive boost in dog ownership during the pandemic . 3.2 million dogs joined families during lockdown , taking the UK dog population to 12.5 million .
The pandemic also saw a significant shift in the average age of dog owners , with a huge increase in first-time dog ownership in the UK . 48 per cent of ' pandemic pups ’ ( dogs
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who were acquired under six months old since 1 March 2020 ) were bought by under 44s , and 18-24-year-olds were over six times more likely to buy a pup in the . last two years than they were before the pandemic .
What does this mean for the workplace ? More people of working age have dogs and are keen to take them into the office . There is a rise in companies across the UK
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introducing pet friendly policies to encourage people to return to places of work , following the lead of progressive global giants such as Google , Apple and Amazon . Many of you may have seen the Amazon video that went viral introducing ' some of the cutest dogs at Amazon .' It shows reception desks stocked with dog treats and a ' doggie deck ' where dogs can play and be exercised during |
breaks . They even have dog-friendly water fountains . Are you reading this thinking the world ' s gone barking mad ? In fact bringing a dog into work is known to have benefits .
Research by The Kennel Club shows that people believe there are many advantages to workplaces being dog friendly .
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Research by The Kennel Club shows that people believe there are many advantages to workplaces being dog friendly .
• 70 per cent of people say that dogs alleviate stress in the workplace
• 67 per cent of people say that dogs make the atmosphere more friendly
• 51 per cent of people say that dogs improve morale and job satisfaction
• 51 per cent of people say that dogs encourage employees to take breaks from the screen
• 45 per cent of people say that dogs make the company / organisation more attractive for job seekers with dogs
• 33 per cent of people say that dogs improve productivity
• 25 per cent of people say that dogs make the company / organisation more attractive for job seekers without a dog
Happy Tails
We spoke to several Wiltshire-based organisations embracing the bring your dog to work trend to find out their experiences and what it means to them .
Sinewave
Sinewave is a Swindon-based specialist electrical engineering company . Adam Woodley is the firm ' s Founder and Chief Executive Officer . He said , " Sinewave understand the importance of its furry friends to our people . Dogs play a huge part in our family lives and bring a great deal of happiness and relaxation to many of us .
" From a mental wellbeing perspective Sinewave embrace the vital role our dogs play in our daily lives , which was made even more prevalent during the Covid lockdown . " For our people dogs reduce the stress of life and help improve mental health . They provide comfort , companionship , and the need for a consistent schedule . Our dogs also help us to keep in better physical shape and provide people with a reason to go out walking .
" Not only do our dogs reduce people stress but when we have our dogs in the office it helps to reduce stress in our workplace and puts a smile on all our faces . " A happy dog makes happy people at Sinewave !" Pictured left Bobbie the Boxer at Sinewave HQ .
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