Take Your Dog To Work Day
You may think your office is a dog-eat-dog world, but next Friday it could be a much friendlier place when real dogs show up for work!
Speaking of Pets June 14, 2008
by Mindy Norton
If you think your office is going to the dogs – well, next Friday, your dog could be going to your office.
That's because Friday, June 20th, is the tenth annual "Take Your Dog To Work" Day, sponsored by Pet Sitters International and Comfort Zone.
That's right – instead of being left behind as usual, thousands of dogs all across the country will trot off to work with their owners, to find out just what those humans really do all day while they're on the job.
The dogs will earn their "chow" by exhibiting proper behavior and good social skills.
Their owners will enjoy the companionship of their furry best friends.
And employers will have the opportunity to see the benefits of having pets in the workplace.
While allowing pets in the workplace may make some employers nervous, others see it as a way to improve staff morale, increase productivity and reduce stress.
It has been so successful that some companies have made it an ongoing policy to allow well-behaved pets to come to work with their owners.
The benefits of owning a pet are widely recognized, supported by scientific studies as well as the testimonies of pet owners themselves.
And yet there are so many pet animals that are in need of good homes and caring owners. So the idea of "Take Your Dog To Work" Day is to remind folks (such as your co-workers) that they, too, can enjoy the benefits of a loving relationship with a pet.
If you are interested in having your company participate in "Take Your Dog To Work" Day, visit the website at www.petsit.com. Or you can go to take your dog.com.
You can download the "Guide to Taking Your Dog to Work".
You can listen to the Take Your Dog to Work song.
And you can read the Top Ten Things to Say to Convince Your Company to take Part. My favorite is telling your boss that "finally someone at your office will actually be working like a dog."
And remember that if you want a companion who's on the job around the clock, visit your local animal shelter and adopt a friend for life, when you're speaking of pets.
Speaking of Pets with host Mindy Norton (pets@apr.org) is for people who care about pets and about humane treatment for animals in general, and who want to celebrate that special relationship between us and our animal companions. Find out more about Speaking of Pets at Alabama Public Radio.
