Take Your Dog To Work Day® Celebrates 16 Years of Promoting Pet Adoptions

KING, N.C. - June 12, 2014 - PRLog -- What started as a small organization’s unique idea to promote pet adoptions 16 years ago has grown into an international celebration. On Friday, June 20, dogs across the United States and abroad will accompany their owners to work as businesses celebrate the 16^h annual Take Your Dog To Work Day® (TYDTWDay®). The online campaign, created by Pet Sitters International (PSI) in 1999, has reached tens of thousands with its message of celebrating the great companions dogs make and promoting their adoptions.

Since TYDTWDay’s inception, companies have increasingly supported the event, allowing employees to bring their dogs to work for this fun summer Friday to support a good cause.

Although major corporations like Google, Ben & Jerry’s, Etsy and Amazon may be more well known for their dog-friendly policies, PSI hears from a variety of companies each year—from real estate firms and universities to banks and fine china distributors—interested in joining in the dogs-at-work trend, if only for TYDTWDay.

Long-time TYDTWDay participant Village Green will be hosting its fourteenth TYDTWDay event this year. The Detroit-based property management company selects a new theme for their celebration each year, asks employees to make a small monetary donation to bring their dogs to work on the day and involves the community by hosting an online auction to benefit a pet-rescue organization. Since 2000, Village Green has raised more than $50,000 to help local pets in need through their TYDTWDay celebration.

“I value that my company recognizes the role pets play in its employees’ lives and uses this fun celebration as a way to give back to our community,” explained Christine Eluskie, TYDTWDay event organizer at Village Green.

PSI President Patti Moran estimates that fewer than 300 companies participated in the first event. Since that time, word about the event spread quickly and the popularity of the event has grown significantly.

She attributes TYDTWDay’s success to increasing pet-ownership rates and the important role pets have come to play in our lives.

“Pets make our lives better,” said Moran. “Studies support the benefits of pet ownership, from providing companionship to reducing stress and increasing physical activity. TYDTWDay provides pet lovers with a unique way to celebrate their dogs and give back to the pet community with a special workplace event.”

Event creator PSI does not tally the day’s participation numbers because companies are not required to register in order to participate. However, the association’s tracking tools indicate that overall involvement around the event grows each year, with hundreds of thousands of visitors exploring the event Web site, www.takeyourdog.com, each year.

PSI encourage businesses, shelters and pet lovers interested in celebrating TYDTWDay to download  the free 2014 Action Pack available on the official event Web site, www.takeyourdog.com. The Action Pack includes step-by-step instructions for planning the event, customizable TYDTWDay materials and a sample dog-friendly work policy.

Companies that may be closed on Fridays or that wish to include other pets in the celebration are encouraged to participate any day during Take Your Pet To Work Week™, June 16-20.

To learn more about TYDTWDay, download event materials, or enter the 2014 TYDTWDay photo contest, visit www.takeyourdog.com  To learn more about event creator PSI, visit petsit.com.