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You may have seen on Instagram that we celebrated our 9th birthday on the 1st of August. That’s 9 glowing years of inspiring you, styling your home. To celebrate, we invited Kerry and his three dogs, Max, Paddy and Harry into the office for the day to have some doggy cuddles and of course some cake (K9 friendly of course).
Kerry’s Springer Spaniels, Max, Paddy and Harry are trained therapy dogs (or if you’re 9 month old Harry, therapy dog in training) who travel the country uplifting spirits in offices, schools and at events. You can hear more about Kerry’s story here.
Spending the day with Max, Paddy and Harry and the excitement got us thinking, what are the benefits of dogs in the office? We could clearly see that having 3 puppers roaming between people’s ankles, stealing dusters and settling with people for a cuddle was making people happy but does having an office dog improve business? It is reported that 8% of employees are allowed to bring their K9 friends to work and with huge companies like Nestle and Mars Petcare which include brands such as Whiskas and Pedigree, it must be a step in the right direction… so what are the benefits?
Productivity – Office dogs will encourage people to take more breaks which has been proven to increase productivity. “Recent studies show that those who give in to some kind of diversion or distraction once an hour perform better than those who just keep at it without a break. After a while, our brains numb out a bit to the constant stimulation, and we become unable to continuously treat the task as important. Taking a break allows us to come back to the job at hand with renewed energy and sense of purpose.”
Social Engagement – An office dog is a great conversation starter for new and nervous employees. A study also found that dos promote cohesion and trust among teams. Who doesn’t want cohesion and trust at work?!
Stress Reduction – This is a given, furry friends = less stress. It’s not just common sense either WebMD has reported that 74% of pet owners have said that having a pet improved their mental health. Not only that, imagine how much less stressed employees would be if they could bring their own pets to work and could stop paying for Doggy Day Care!
Employer Brand – Imagine how exciting ‘behind the scenes’ brand content would be on social media if everyday featured puppers!! Not only that it’s a great employee benefit to draw in talented people and millennials. Everyone really is a winner.
Now for the most important bit, as part of our birthday celebration we’re donating 10% of the sales from our animal category to PDSA. PDSA provide veterinary care for pets whose owners aren’t able to pay for private veterinary care. While they never turn a poorly pet away, clients are means tested when they are registered to ensure PDSA are providing care to the people who need it the most. Pets are lifeline for many people living with a variety of illnesses, elderly people and those less fortunate.
We recently paid a visit to our local PDSA hospital to check out the incredible work they are doing. The Manchester team of 34 vets, nurses, assistants and receptionists see an average of 100 pets a day which costs approximately £4022 per day. No PDSA hospitals receive any state or National Lottery funding – they rely purely on their supporters and donations. As well as carrying out life-saving treatment PDSA improve pet wellbeing by preventing disease and by educating owners. Many of the illnesses and injuries the vets treat every day could be prevented, which is why they are so passionate about vaccinating, microchipping, neutering and all other preventive measures which keep beloved pets out of harm’s way.
On our visit to the Manchester PDSA hospital, no stone was left unturned, we saw everything from live operations to examinations and pets in recovery. We were almost moved to tears when we met a little puppy who was bought in over night and wasn’t eating, no one was sure if he would make it. We stood in complete amazement watching a vet spay a Shih Tzu puppy.
You can find out more about why PDSA is special here.
And you can shop the range here.
Shop the Animal Trend here & we'll donate 10% of the sales to PDSA:
