Today — Friday, June 22, 2018 — is Take Your Dog to Work Day, the 20th annual day that raises awareness and funds to support animal rescue and shelter dog adoption. But some pet-friendly companies have already gone to the dogs.
These companies allow you to take your dog to work every day of the year. While plenty of companies offer perks like gym memberships and subsidized childcare, many also recognize that, especially for pet-loving millennials, dogs are part of the family, too.
Pet-friendly companies with open door policies that let dog owners to take their dogs to work often cite benefits such as a stress relief as one of the reasons for allowing dogs in the office. Some also highlight that dogs at work help employees break the ice during tense meetings and encourage more friendly socializing in the office.
Take Your Dog to Work Day caps an entire Take Your Pet to Work Week, including the much more complicated-sounding Take Your Cat to Work Day (celebrated on June 18 this year.)
Here are 10 pet-friendly companies where every day is Take Your Dog to Work Day.
1. Bissell
You can take your dog to work every day at the Grand Rapids, Mich., headquarters of this privately-owned pet-friendly home care company. Seventy percent of Bissell employees are pet owners, and in 2011, Cathy Bissell started the Bissell Pet Foundation to promote and support spay-neuter programs and shelter pet adoption. Bissell, the wife of CEO Mark, notes that in 2017 alone, the foundation raised over $1 million.
2. Amazon
The Seattle-based e-commerce giant is proud of its take your dog to work policy, often highlighting the more than 6,000 dogs that accompany their humans to work every day at Amazon’s facilities. Amazon has been dog-friendly from day one and its first company pet, a corgi named Rufus, has an Amazon building named in his honor.
3. Zynga
At this pet-friendly game design HQ, where founder Mark Pincus’ late bulldog is immortalized in the company logo, pet insurance for dogs is offered along with healthcare coverage for humans. When Zynga employees take their dogs to work, there are free treats for the dogs on hand. There’s even a small play area on the roof of the Zynga building in San Francisco for the dogs.
4. Nestle Purina
The Nestle subsidiary known for pet food and products knows a thing or two about keeping dogs and their owners happy, which is why the pet-friendly company allows employees to take their dogs to work. Taking the dog out promotes movement throughout the day, and Nestle Purina also emphasizes the de-stressing nature of having a dog next to your desk.
5. Salesforce
What’s better than a sales force? How about a Puppyforce? That’s what you’ll find at this pet-friendly business software giant, which encourages a handful of employees and their dogs to co-work in an open space that’s part office, part doggy daycare.
6. PetSmart
Obviously, this pet supply chain encourages employees to pamper their pets and take their dogs with them to work. PetSmart also offers associates discounts on merchandise and dog grooming, as well as free training classes for dogs.
7. Google (owned by parent company Alphabet)
Long known for its industry-standard office perks, Google has fondness for its so-called Dooglers — dog-owning Googlers — written right into its corporate code of conduct. “Google’s affection for our canine friends is an integral facet of our corporate culture,” the policy notes. If you take your dog to Google’s Mountain View, Calif., campus, your pup will even get a badge.
8. WorkDay
The HR software company, based in Pleasanton, Calif., says taking dogs to work can “keep the mood light” and WorkDay even offers financial assistance to employees looking to adopt a shelter dog.
9. Zoosk
Not only are Zoosk employees’ dogs welcome every day at this dating site’s office. There’s an award presented each month to one special dog at work.
10. Ticketmaster
Take your dog to work at this pet-friendly ticketing giant, and rest assured your pup is well, too. Ticketmaster offers pet insurance for all employees’ dogs.
