Together with the dog food brand Cesar, the German Animal Welfare Association is inviting companies to take part in this year's Colleague Dog Action Day. If employees are allowed to bring their four-legged friends with them on 5 June, employers can try out how dogs can have a positive impact on the working environment. Reservations about dogs in the workplace can be overcome in this way. At the same time, the day gives dogs more time with their humans. If the day is successful, this could lead to dogs being permitted in the company in the long term. Surveys show that animal shelters could also benefit from this, as fewer dogs would be handed in due to a lack of time. Registration is now open at www.tierschutzbund.de/kollege-hund.
‘Dogs are part of the family and don't want to be alone for most of the day. But if you can't work from home every day, you won't be able to look after your dog properly. The animals are then either left alone for too long or have to be looked after by a dog sitter. The Colleague Dog Action Day aims to show that an animal-friendly alternative is possible that offers benefits for both the dog and the employer. At the same time, the campaign day relieves the burden on animal shelters where dogs wait longer than necessary for adoption simply because their everyday working life is not compatible with keeping a dog,’ explains Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Association.
This is underpinned by a survey conducted by Mars Petcare, the company behind the Cesar brand. In the survey, which examined among other things why people do not get a dog, 35 per cent of respondents said that no one could look after the animal when they were at work.1 Among working people in Germany who have owned a dog in the past and then given it up again, almost half (48.3 per cent) said that they did not have enough time to look after their four-legged friend.2 ‘With the Colleague Dog Action Day, we want to help reduce these barriers to pet ownership - especially as numerous surveys show that dog-friendly offices can be an absolute asset not only for the animals themselves, but also for the workforce and the employer. For example, 88 per cent of employees who work in a dog-friendly working environment say that they would recommend their workplace to others.3 ‘This can also be a strong argument in the battle for skilled workers to increase your own attractiveness as an employer,’ says Tomasz Pawlowski, Managing Director of Mars Pet Nutrition Germany.
17 years ago, the German Animal Welfare Association introduced the day of action nationwide in order to reduce people's fear of dogs in the office. Studies2,3 show that employees in dog-friendly offices experience less stress and rate their collaboration with superiors and colleagues more positively. Employees who do not want to get a dog themselves can therefore also benefit from the positive influence of their team's four-legged friends. However, individual factors such as allergies or fears should be taken into account in advance. The suitability of the dog for the office environment also plays an important role.
The dog's well-being should always take centre stage. A suitable place to rest and sleep undisturbed, a bowl of drinking water and regular exercise breaks are essential. Before starting work, the dog should be given sufficient exercise so that it can relax in the office. During the lunch break, a walk with colleagues is a good idea - not only the dog benefits from the exercise in the fresh air. In order to harmonise the interaction between dogs and employees, it is a good idea for employers to draw up guidelines setting out the rules for dealing with dogs in the workplace. Companies that would like to take part in the campaign day or even create a dog-friendly working environment in the long term can register at www.tierschutzbund.de/kollege-hund-anmeldung from now until 5 June. Companies that already allow dogs on a permanent basis are also welcome. Participating companies will receive a package in advance with useful information, practical tips and animal surprises from Cesar and Findefix, the pet register of the German Animal Welfare Association. After the campaign, the German Animal Welfare Association will issue a certificate labelling the company as dog-friendly.
Note to editors: An information flyer on the ‘Colleague Dog’ 2025 campaign day, which includes further facts and figures on dogs in the workplace, can be found here.
Sources
1 State Of Pet Homelessness Project – Befragung im Auftrag von Mars Petcare (2023):https://cms.stateofpethomelessness.com/s3media/2024-01/soph-germany.pdf?VersionId=IOhnwBTOIYukiHAu4dOj81H4hext.DXD
2 State Of Pet Homelessness Project – Befragung im Auftrag von Mars Petcare (2023):Microsoft Power BI
3 Nationwide/HABRI study (2018): https://habri.org/research/mental-health/workplace-wellness/
4 Repräsentative Online-Befragung von Statista im Auftrag von Mars Petcare zum Thema „Haustierhaltung“ (2019): https://deu.mars.com/news-stories/articles/umfrage-hamburg-ist-tierlieb-stellt-tierhalter-aber-dennoch-vor-huerden?language_content_entity=de
