Take Your Dog To Work Day Was Started For The Best Possible Reason

Pet owners around the world have long had to juggle a guilt-ridden commute to the office with leaving a beloved pup at home. Thankfully, on June 23, those same furry companions will get the opportunity to join the workforce for Take Your Dog to Work Day.

While the unusual holiday has been around for almost two decades, the history of Take Your Dog to Work Day is not what one might expect.

In 1999, Pet Sitters International (PSI), an educational association for professional pet minders, started Take Your Dog to Work Day for a very good cause.

“Take Your Dog to Work Day encourages businesses to allow their employees’ dogs in the workplace for one fun summer Friday to celebrate the great companions dogs make and promote their adoptions from local shelters, rescue groups and humane societies,” Beth Stultz, vice president of marketing and operations for Pet Sitters International, tells The Dodo.

Summer is a notoriously slow time for animal adoptions, making this heartfelt holiday particularly necessary in the month of June. Pets are more likely to be abandoned during periods of warm weather, and in the summer season, neglected animals often put a strain on local animal shelters.

May through October is also known as kitten season, where female cats are more likely to go into heat, and, unsupervised, can have up to two litters in five months. Each year, 3.3 million dogs and 3.2 million cats enter U.S. animal shelters, according to the ASPCA, and a quarter of them will never make it out.

While dogs might certainly appreciate extra attention and the chance to laze around under their owners’ desks, research shows that having pets at work can be good for people, too, reducing stress and improving quality of life. Policies regarding pets in the office are quickly changing. According to a report by the Society for Human Resource Management, 7 percent of employers allow pets at work, compared to 4 percent in 2014. However, when PSI first started their campaign to bring pets into the office nearly 20 years ago, the idea “was initially met with skepticism,” Stultz says.

“The day was established as a unique way to raise awareness for the need for pet adoptions,” Stultz says. “The campaign began as a grassroots effort. The PSI staff called and faxed (it was 1999!) hundreds of businesses to encourage them to participate the first year.” A puppy named Severn was one of the very first dogs to benefit from Take Your Dog to Work Day, according to PSI president Patti J. Moran. The pup, who was rescued during a flood and named after the River Severn, was adopted after his story was shared at a 2001 TYDTWDay event.

A reported 300 businesses participated in its inaugural year, and now, Take Your Dog to Work Day has worldwide recognition. According to Stultz, companies across the United States, as well as Canada, Belgium, Ireland, England, Brazil, the Philippines and Australia, have pledged to participate, so expect to see some furry friends commuting with their owners.

On Friday, adorable pics of pups on computers and lounging by the water cooler will surely flood social media, and you may even feel a wet nose on your ankle during a meeting, but be sure to take a moment to think about helping an animal in need.