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If you work in an office setting and love animals, learning more about Take Your Pet to Work Week will bring you a great deal of joy! This unique tradition is all about celebrating our pets and sharing our work environment with them. The fun event takes place on the third full week of June every year and includes Take Your Dog to Work Day and Take Your Cat to Work Day.
In this article, we go over the most important information about Take Your Pet to Work Week, including the benefits of taking your pet to work and how to safely do so!
When Is Take Your Pet to Work Week?
In 2023, Take Your Pet to Work Week took place from June 19 to June 23. According to its creators, Pet Sitters International, the event included Take Your Cat to Work Day on the 19th and Take Your Dog to Work Day on the 23rd.
The specific dates of Take Your Pet to Work Week change every year, but it generally takes place the third full week of June, starting on Monday and ending on Friday. In 2025, the celebration will take place from June 16 to June 20.
What Are the Benefits of Taking Your Pet to Work?
If you have a pet, you know how important it is to spend quality time together and strengthen your bond. However, doing so can be tricky when you have a full-time job and other daily obligations.
With Take Your Pet to Work Week, many workers get the chance to experience the various benefits of taking their pets to work:
- Additional emotional support at the workplace
- More opportunities for socialization and connecting with coworkers
- Improved office mood and more relaxed office vibes
- Showing your pet as a part of the family
- Work being less stressful and more interesting
- Better work-life balance and more free time to spend with your pet
- Better productivity and a more positive attitude
- Attracting new employees/inspiring coworkers to adopt a pet
Top 6 Tips for Safely Taking Your Pet to Work
Most pet parents look forward to experiencing Take Your Pet to Work Week all year round. To ensure that the event will go smoothly, you need to know how to take your pet to work safely.
Here is a list of tips that will help do so without causing any inconveniences or making anyone uncomfortable.
1. Get Permission
One of the most important things before taking your pet to work is to get permission, even if it’s Take Your Pet to Work Week. It’s crucial to ensure that your managers and coworkers are okay with you bringing your pet to the office. You should try to accommodate everyone’s needs, especially if there are people who are allergic or scared of specific animals. After you get permission, you should be free to bring your pet to the office without any issues.
If there are particular reasons that your pet shouldn’t visit the office, you can still participate by placing your pet’s photo on your desk or planning an online pet contest with your coworkers and their animal companions.
2. Schedule Participation With Other Coworkers
If the whole office is participating in the celebration, it’s best to make a schedule with your coworkers. This way, everyone can bring their pets in while ensuring that they get along. In case of different species that may not do so well together, or if someone’s pet is not keen on meeting other pets, it’s important to set certain days and times when each pet will attend the office, to make sure all animals feel comfortable and safe.
Scheduling the participation in advance will ensure that particular animals that might not get along are not mixed, in order to prevent possible mishaps.
3. Ensure That Your Pet Is Comfortable
When participating in Take Your Pet to Work Week, it’s extremely important to ensure that your furry companion is comfortable at the office.
The supplies that you’ll need to keep your pet comfy will vary based on the animal that you own. Also, if your pet experiences discomfort or anxiety, as meeting other people and staying at an unfamiliar place can be frightening for some animals, you’ll need an alternative way to celebrate instead of forcing your pet to hang out at your workspace.
4. Avoid Forcing Your Pet or Coworkers to Interact With One Another
If you bring your pet to work, keep in mind that not everyone will want to interact with your animal companion, and that’s entirely fine. Ensure that all interactions flow naturally, and don’t force your pet and coworkers to engage.
If someone wants to spend time with your pet, that’s great. Otherwise, keep your furry friend near you and respect their wishes as well. Not all pets will enjoy being showered with attention from your coworkers
5. Pet-Proof Your Workspace
Before bringing your pet to work, you should pet-proof your workspace to lower the chances of possible accidents. Remove all chewable and breakable items from your desk, and move any electrical cables, human food, cleaning products, or anything else that could put your pet in jeopardy.
For some pets, it’s also a good idea to bring a kennel or a baby gate to prevent your furry companion from wandering around the office. Ensure you bring appropriate treats and speak to your coworkers so they don’t give your pet something they shouldn’t eat or that could make them sick.
6. Prepare an Exit Strategy
Although taking your pet to work can be fun and exciting, it can also be stressful, especially if your pet is not used to large crowds. You should prepare an exit strategy that you can follow if your pet becomes uncomfortable.
Depending on your options, you can have a family member on standby if your pet needs to go home or contact a professional pet service to care for your pet until your shift ends. Either way, having some sort of exit plan will make the whole experience more manageable.
The 4 Things That You Shouldn’t Do During Take Your Pet to Work Week
While it’ll be fun bringing your pet to work, it’s also important to learn about the things that you shouldn’t do when your pet is at the office with you.
1. Don’t Bring Fearful or Anxious Pets
Although all pets are welcome to celebrate Take Your Pet to Work Week, not all pets are actually suitable for being in an office setting. Never bring fearful or anxious pets to your work, as the experience will be frightening for them, and they may act unpredictably when exposed to an unfamiliar environment, noise and strangers.
Similarly, if you have an animal that is reactive or likes to jump, be loud, and knock things over, it might be best to keep them at home.
2. Don’t Bring Sick Pets
Regardless of how much you love your pet, you should never bring your furry companion to work if they are sick. They could easily make other people’s pets sick, the ramifications of which could range from inconvenient to dangerous. So, if you want to bring your pet to work to celebrate this week, ensure that your furry companion is in good health.
3. Don’t Let Your Pet Roam Around
Even if you have an adorable, calm, and well-behaved pet, you should never allow them to wander and roam around the office when you bring them in to celebrate Take Your Pet to Work Week.
Instead, keep your furry friend near you at all times, and ensure that you’re always nearby in case something happens.
4. Don’t Force Your Pet Onto Your Coworkers
Although many people are pet lovers, not everyone likes to interact with animals, so you should never force your pet onto your coworkers. Allow anyone who’s interested to interact with your pet, but don’t force meetings if they’re not genuine.
Final Thoughts
Take Your Pet to Work Week is an excellent celebration that helps people around the country connect with their pets so they can experience a workplace setting together. This unique practice is extremely beneficial for both employees and pets, so if you’re a pet parent, be sure to participate!
Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock
