Last week: 5 Tips for a Safe and Enjoyable Hike with Your Dog
More and more employers are putting out the welcome mat for their employees’ four-legged friends to join them in the office.
Despite the fact that only 17 percent of U.S. employers allow animals in the workplace, according to a survey from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, dogs are being recognized as integral parts of their pet parents’ lives.
In fact, Inc.com says that dog-friendly companies are “friendlier, more collaborative and ultimately more productive.”
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) even celebrates the Pet Sitters International’s Take Your Dog to Work Day every year on June 24.
1. Google – With 23,000 employees worldwide, Google recognizes the value and importance that dogs bring to their employees’ lives. Its code of conduct states, “Google’s affection for our canine friends is an integral facet of our corporate culture.” All dogs must be properly licensed, vaccinated, supervised and leashed at all times.
2. Amazon – Up to 36 dogs are known to join their pet parents at Amazon’s Seattle, Wash., headquarters. Pet parents must register their pups and agree to the rules that dogs must be vaccinated and on leash — unless they’re in their offices. Rufus the Corgi, who was known as “Amazon’s shortest volunteer worker,” was the company’s mascot and belonged to its former principal engineer and editor-in-chief, who brought him to work every day, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
3. Ben & Jerry’s – Ben & Jerry’s is known for outrageous ice cream flavors, but did you know this company loves crazy canines as well? Each year they host an annual Dog Days of Summer event to celebrate the hot summers in Vermont and the love of man’s best friend. A flea-dip bath is available to all employees’ dogs and cats, while they serve grilled wieners and barbecue for pet parents. Doggie toys and snacks are distributed to all freshly scrubbed canines. Pooches are free to hang out with their pet parents in their offices, but the company also has policies in place that are considerate to anyone allergic or afraid of dogs.
4. Clif Bar & Company – Clif Bar’s pup pals are so ingrained in the company that they are sometimes featured in the company’s blog. One story was about Scrubby, who made off with someone’s bagel during a company meeting. The company’s dog-friendliness helped it score the No. 3 spot on Outside magazine’s Best Places to Work of 2010 list.
5. P&G Pet Care – P&G Pet Care hosts an annual event called “Paws for a Cause Shelter Makeover,” where it selects a shelter to revamp and matches donations to the makeover, dollar-for-dollar, up to the campaign goal of $50,000, according to the Eukanuba blog. The company even has a V.P. of Canine Communications, a Labrador-Bernese Mountain Dog mix, who will be retiring next spring after eight years of service.
Unfortunately we cannot bring our canine companions to i Love Dogs’ new office, but check out this video of our pooches frolicking around our old office during a Dog-Friendly Friday.
PHOTO: Kara Ogushi
Category : Miscellaneous &TRAVEL TIPS
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