MOUNTAIN VIEW, California: You've heard of working dogs - well this is taking the concept to a new level. One in five American firms now allows employees to bring their pets to work, according to a study made by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA).
The survey reported that 39 percent of respondents believe that it decreases absenteeism, 34 percent would work longer hours, and 37 percent said that their relationship with their co-workers improved.
And the pet-friendly trend is growing. With the number of pet-lovers soaring, industries are moving quickly to capitalize. Pet-friendly cars are being developed, pet hotels and doggy nursing homes are being built, and even human foods such as beer and ice cream are now tailor-made for pets. Thus, it comes as to no surprise that more and more offices are now opening their doors to furry friends as well. With dogs having innate cuteness in them, bringing Fido to work has proven to be a doggone good idea that benefits both the employees and the company.
According to the Arizona Republic, bringing your pet pal to work lends a warm and friendly atmosphere to the workplace. It makes for an effective stress-buster and also gives employees more energy for work. In fact, it was found that people worked longer hours knowing that they do not have to rush home to feed or interact with their pet if they were right beside them at their desks.
While pet-friendly workplaces were once almost unheard of, today DogFriendly.com lists pet-friendly employers across the country. There are now over three hundred offices who welcome dogs with open arms. Moreover, a popular US job search engine, SimplyHired, has launched its pet project - a filter that lets job seekers find vacancies in canine-friendly firms.
Of course, there are rules for any dog-owning employee bringing their canine pal to the workplace. Firstly, the dogs must be well-behaved and house-trained. They must be quiet, clean, free of ticks and fleas, and most importantly, have the appropriate vaccination records. There are also strict rules about cleaning up.
Dogs possess a natural ability to win over everything that would normally be just for humans. In the United Kingdom, although pet-friendly workplaces are still a rarity, numerous companies now participate in the annual Take Your Dog to Work Day.
Perhaps it will not be long before man's best friend has an equal footing with their human partners. With some very wealthy people even leaving hefty amounts in their will for them, dogs may soon even rule the world!
yeah i read in a mag dat in google office dey let workers bring in der dogs. dey can even go around in like a park w/ their bikes! is dat cool or is dat cool?
i've always known that pets have that innate ability to be stress busters. i've experienced this for myself every time i get home from work. bringing dogs to work for me is a very good idea. my problem now is, my company does not allow this yet.
it may be a good idea for some pet owners to have their pets in the office but i would rather not have mine there while i'm working. i would be too distracted and worried if i suddenly have to attend a meeting outside the office.
Imagine if people were to bring cats to work. Total Riot!!! Cat fights here and there, hissing, snarling, etc.! lol! cats are not exactly sociable animals so ok. i won't feel jealous that only dogs can be taken to an office.
i would really love it if my dog would be with me at work but i would probably not enjoy it if i accidentally step on his poop since he'll probably be in my work station. lol
that's so unfair! how come dogs are already being allowed to be brought to offices? what about cat owners like myself... oh well... but seriously, i wouldn't want to bring my cat with me to the office. i don't think i can put her on a leash or control her if she suddenly makes a dash for it.
ya wat abt poop? offices are aircondtioned and poop smell will spread if a doggie poops inside.. eew..
they might as well consider letting in horses because horses are supposed to be therapeutic right? lol
who would've thought that dogs can really be man's best friend? just imagine having your own pooch right beside you while working! wouldn't it make working more interesting and even more enjoyable? it's a good thing that more and more companies are adopting this mindset.
What if I own a different animal other than the dog? like a horse, or an iguana or even a tarantula. Could I bring it to the office too? LOL! Lucky dogs, they get to be shown around.
that's actually a very good idea. i would love to have my dog in the office with me. it would definitely lessen the stress that i have to deal with on a daily basis. although i don't think the company i work for would do that anytime soon.
Yeah this is cool.. but only if the office is big enough because what if one officemate is allergic to animal fur? i mean one person's joy is another's nightmare and you cannot really keep pets in one place so they be running around and can disrupt work flow.
I have a Husky and I sure wish I could bring him wherever I go. The thing is, he's stronger than me! lol! If I could take him to work... well, he's house trained, but not office trained! My pooch's a male and you know how males pee. LOL! I might end up paying for ruined furniture!
i agree with Julie. just imagine the chaos it would create in the office if they start running around the place. what more if it's a dog running after a cat! whew! i would rather just leave the pets at home. this way, pet owners would feel excited to see their pets when they go home.
that would be the day! what about for people like me? i have horses as pets. can i bring along my horse to the office? lol
That would be a total riot if all kinds of pets would be allowed in the office. Dogs chasin' cats, cats chasin' hamsters or rats. Parrots squawking and flappin their wings, birds flying. LOL! It's gonna be a workplace turned zoo!
who said other pets would also be allowed in the offices? i mean i think they were referring to just cats or dogs or maybe even fishes.. unless ur office is one big garden or park? and i think pets are allowed to help employees relax, not distract them.
that's crazy! bringing pets to the office? i just think that people would just be distracted from their daily responsibilities and that wouldn't be good at all. i still prefer leaving them at home so they will also not get stressed from the traveling to and from the office.
whether or not pets will be allowed in offices, i think it still would be more of a hassle than anything else. personally, i wouldn't like it if i'm going to be too distracted from doing my work because my pet will be there. granted that they really are a good stress buster, i think it would still suit me to just leave them at home.
Regina M. from Toledo is concerned that there would be cat fights in the office...anyone who works where there are several or more women knows that we don't have to bring our pets in to the office to witness "cat fights" (and yes, some of the men are guilty of this too)! I would LOVE to be able to bring Dino, my fabulous Dachshund, along with me...a pleasant "distraction" who is well trained enough to not relieve himself anywhere other than outdoors. I'm sure the "higher ups" aren't going to allow this where I work...too bad for me, I'm all for it.
Obviously it makes an owner feel better to formally honor their pet. But if you really think about it, wouldn't the money spent on fancy boxes and funerals be better spent trying to save animals that are still living? At least some good comes of losing a pet...another animal has a place to go and doesn't die. What better way to honor a faithful friend than to help one that is still living?