International Day of Dogs in workspaces
When planning Communication and Marketing activities, we decided also to include in the calendar some "celebrations" or "dedicated days" to something very close to us or inherent to our environment such as "Sushi Day" or "Carbonara Day".
When planning the month of June, we discover that the 21st (first day of summer!) is celebrated as International Dog Day in the Office! What do our ears hear?!
Lexi, our mascot, aka Vincenzo and Carola's dog, has always been part of the Team since the beginning, where in the tiny office in Wan Chai she had her kennel and observed from above the comings and goings of the neighbourhood, famous for being full of furniture shops, clubs, Chinese restaurants and bars. The ultimate thoroughfare, Lockhart Road was close to the promenade overlooking the harbour and during lunch breaks, Lexi crouched under the table at Divino Patio and waited for us to finish eating, before going back to the office and resumed our daily activities.
We have always been convinced that having an animal next to us while we work helps us to be more tuned, happier, more productive. Observing the "oddities" of a dog that perhaps bites its tail for 10 minutes helps us facing the day with a smile, from a different perspective. Also, psychologists recognize that pets, especially dogs and cats, can contribute to reducing stress levels in our busy lives.
For this reason, the discovery that there is a day dedicated to our 4-legged friends in the workplace encourages us, even more, to promote it. But let’s see how this celebration originated.
Pet Sitters international decided, in 1996, that there were far too many instances of people leaving their animals at home while they went about their workday. These amazing people are dedicated to saving animals from local shelters and humane shelters and helping them find good homes with people who will love and respect them.
As part of this, they developed Take Your Dog To Work Day as an attempt to help restore puppies to the workplace and help people understand the human-animal bond.
Starting from 1999 in the United States Pet Sitter International opened the path for this as a recognition of the importance pets have in our personal lives and, therefore, the effect they have on our working lives.
5000 companies were participating in this event by the end of 2003, and it’s just growing more with every single year.
So, take some time and bring your puppy to work if you are allowed and help educate others on the importance of saving these amazing critters from a rescue shelter and the streets and find them a forever home.