(PRESS RELEASE) KING, NC — Friday, June 26, marks the 22nd annual Take Your Dog To Work Day (TYDTWDay), and event creator Pet Sitters International (PSI) is encouraging pet lovers and businesses alike to host virtual celebrations this year in light of COVID-19 restrictions.
PSI, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, created the event in 1999 to celebrate the great companions dogs make and promote their adoptions. Each year, the association has encouraged employers across the U.S. and Canada — and around the globe — to open their doors to employees’ dogs for one fun summer Friday.
However, with remote working and social distancing policies currently in place, PSI recommends virtual ideas that allow companies to celebrate dogs and promote pet adoptions.
“While Take Your Dog To Work Day traditionally offers a fun opportunity to have dogs at work, its purpose since the inaugural celebration has always been to celebrate dogs and encourage pet adoptions,” said PSI CEO Patti Moran. “With creativity and technology, participating companies can still achieve that.”
PSI offers several celebration ideas:
- Invite employees’ dogs to a virtual staff meeting. While co-workers can’t meet one another’s dogs face to face at the office, seeing their canine co-workers on the screen during a virtual meeting will be a morale booster.
- Share photos of employees’ dogs on the company’s blog or social-media sites. Encourage employees to submit photos of their dogs in their home office and post on the company blog or social-media pages to celebrate the important role dogs (or other pets) play in the lives of employees.
- Invite a local animal shelter or pet rescue to virtually introduce adoptable pets to staff. The goal of Take Your Dog To Work Day is to promote pet adoptions. Whether inviting a local pet-rescue organization to attend a staff Zoom meeting to introduce pets available for adoption or sending photos of adoptable pets through a company email, participating businesses can help pets find their forever homes.
- Host a virtual lunch and learn with a pet-care expert. Invite a veterinarian, professional pet sitter or other pet-care professional to speak on an important pet-care topic, such as pet first aid or helping pets deal with separation anxiety post-pandemic. Businesses could host this talk through Zoom, Microsoft Teams or another virtual meeting platform for staff.
Participating companies with staff back at work can plan celebrations such as a dog photo contest or “doggy bag” lunches for staff to adhere to social-distancing guidelines, PSI advises.
The week leading up to the event, June 22-26, is Take Your Pet To Work Week, with Take Your Cat To Work Day celebrated on Monday, June 22. PSI feels this year’s virtual celebrations will allow participants to include cats and other pet types easier than ever before.
“Now, perhaps more than ever, employees need the joy that Take Your Dog To Work Day, Take Your Cat To Work Day and Take Your Pet To Work Week bring,” said PSI President and event spokesperson Beth Stultz-Hairston. “While it may not be possible to have dogs or other pets at work this year, companies can still celebrate the day and boost employee morale with alternate celebrations.”
PSI will be hosting its 2020 Take Your Dog To Work Day Photo Contest on the Take Your Dog To Work Day Facebook and Instagram accounts. Participants are encouraged to upload photos of their dogs—or other pets—working with them remotely and tag Take Your Dog To Work Day and Pet Sitters International in the post, June 22-26. PSI will select a winning photo each day and donate $100 to the animal shelter or pet-rescue group of the winner’s choice.
To learn more about Take Your Dog To Work Day, Take Your Pet To Work Week or Take Your Cat To Work Day, visit www.petsit.com/takeyourdog.