June 21^st is Bring Your Dog to Work Day. Established in 2014 by ethical pet product company HOWND, Bring Your Dog to Work day is an annual event designed to raise money for charities dedicated to making a difference to the welfare of dogs.

In 2021, Bring Your Dog to Work Day is raising money for:

All Dogs Matter: This charity rescues and rehomes more than 300 dogs every year in London, Norfolk and the surrounding areas. These are strays rescued from the streets, or dogs that are relocated from pounds and placed into foster homes or alternative quality kennel space. You can find out more about All Dogs Matter on their website.

Animals Asia: Animals Asia aims to improve the welfare of all animals and bring about long-term change for those creatures living in China and Vietnam. Founded in 1998 by Jill Robinson MBE, it is particularly dedicated to fighting against the horrific dog and cat meat industry. Check out their website to read more about their work.

But while Bring Your Dog to Work Day is important for raising money, taking your canine pal into your workplace could also have benefits for your health, wellbeing and productivity within your job too.

How dogs can benefit the workplace

An annual survey of Employee Benefits carried out by the Society of Human Resource Management in 2018 found that there has been a significant rise in the number of businesses that now allow staff to bring their dogs into work. The reason for this is simple – dogs make people happier! Research has found a number of scientifically-proven reasons why bringing dogs into the workplace can benefit the workforce, including:

Dogs reduce stress. Studies suggest that spending just 10 minutes petting a dog can cause your body to produce enough oxytocin to reduce your stress levels. This will make employees happier, more confident to perform at work and less likely to go off sick. Reduced stress levels will also benefit their general health, since people with less stress in their lives are less likely to experience headaches, body aches, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular issues.

Dogs encourage regular breaks.Stopping to pet a dog, take them out for a walk/to go to toilet or give them a treat requires you to take regular breaks. Science shows that people who take regular breaks during the day are less likely to experience digital eye strain and fatigue. Instead, these breaks will help them to clear their minds, boost their creativity and energy and help them to perform optimally and more productively.

Dogs could help to retain staff.It goes without saying that the nicer a work environment is, the less likely staff are to want to leave. Dogs help to make offices much more welcoming, relaxing and productive and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to work somewhere where you can get canine cuddles during the course of the day? And if you are happy at work, you are more likely to do a good job and be able to retain your position for as long as possible.

Ready for Bring Your Dog into Work Day? We’ve got all the accessories you could possibly need to make your workplace a comfortable place to spend time for your dog too. Check out our website for our full range of products.