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Courtney OConnor
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Chemeketa Community College

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Do you ever go to a business and are surprised to find a pet just walking about? Well
believe it or not having pets in the workplace is not as uncommon as it may seem. Throughout
history pets have been found in the workplace, but this trend is now increasing more than it ever
has ever before. There are many benefits to allowing pets in the workplace, but with positives
there are also negatives. Many companies have strict rules to keep pets outside the office, but
with three-quarters of millennials owning pets will businesses begin to change their policies
(Bhattarai, 2016)?
Pets in the Workplace
Allowing pets into businesses has always seemed to be most common among small,
family owned companies and shops who made it a personal choice for themselves. Now more
and more large corporations are joining the small businesses and are allowing animals inside
their doors. According to Tuttle, 8% of businesses now allow pets, which has gone up a whole
3% since 2013 (2016). It may not seem like much, but if you think of the number of businesses
there are across the United States 3% is an impressively large number. The majority of
businesses allowing pets are technology companies, although there are other types. Many wellknown companies are allowing pets into their offices, such as Google, Amazon and Etsy (Harris
2016).
Along with vacation time, health benefits, and paid education, allowing pets into the
workplace is now being seen as a way to encourage future employees to apply. One survey found
that in 2000, 60% of households across that nation had a pet and the majority had a pet dog
(Baker, R.T., 2005). Many pet owners try their best to find someone to care for their dog for
while they are away at work, like a dog walker or doggie daycare, by allowing dogs to work

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many owners will no longer need to stress about where to take their dog and if they are being
well looked after. Allowing pets in the work place is also a good way to make millennials, or
people born between 1980 and 2000, more interested in working at a certain company. Many
millennials are now graduating college and are full of fresh knowledge. What better way to
attract a young group, who statistically have owned the most pets in all recorded history, then by
allowing their best furry friends into work (Tuttle, 2016)?
Benefits of Allowing Fido
Allowing your pet into your workspace sounds like a benefit as it is, but there are also
proven health benefits for employees and even benefits for the companies themselves. According
to Barker and Dawson, pet owners are proven to have better heart health, less depression, and
seem to typically be more independent and positive when compared to those who do not own a
pet (1998). Having a pet in the office allows you to go outside from time to time which has been
shown to increase creativity and productivity. Many people also claim that having a pet in the
office helps keep them calm in stressful situations, from doing a hard task to simply interacting
with a coworker. Sable states that, there is now convincing scientific evidence that companion
animals have positive effects on psychological and physical well-being, helping shape how
people regulate their emotions, deal with stress or trauma, and relate to others" conforming the
evidence that pets can truly help employees inside and outside of the office (2013, pg. 93).
In 2010, Kudesia found that, 80 percent of employees experienced stress at work and
that workplace stress cost American businesses $300 billion annually (pg. 11). It is incredible to
think that by simply allowing a pet into an office that overall businesses could save $300 billion
annually, one can only imagine how much they could save yearly. Pets also decrease the number
of times people get sick by improving the immune system, people who are happy typically have

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better immune systems. If less employees get sick then that means less calling in to miss work
and not as many going in for doctor visits reducing health care costs (Siegel, 1990). By allowing
pets in the office businesses could be saving thousands of dollars every year and would be
making a more welcoming and relaxed environment for their employees.
Disadvantages of Allowing Buddy
Although there are many positives, such as health advantages and financial advantages,
with allowing pets in the workplace there are also some disadvantages. Some of the biggest
concerns are legal liability, damage, and injuries (Tuttle, 2016). As pets become more acceptable
in the workplace rules in regulations evolve more to take it safer for everyone, in the past 15
years legal liability for pets has increased greatly making the owners responsibility for their pet
greater than ever before (Tuttle, 2016). With higher liability, owners are working harder towards
training their pet to behave properly in public spaces. Property damage is also a high concern for
employees and business owners alike. At any given time, a pet could break something and the
owner would need to take responsibility, but depending on the situation who knows if they would
know whose pet did it. With proper outdoor space, damage issues are reduced and employees can
enjoy breaks outside. Besides damaging items, pets can also damage people and that concerns
many people. Some companies help pay for obedience class, helping to reduce the chances of
pets lashing out towards others.
Although all these concerns are huge, the companies that allow pets are doing their best
to make the work environment safe for employees and pets. Two of the most frequently used
methods are creating a space for dogs, so they can get their energy out making them less active
and excited throughout the day, and the other is the Three Strike Rule, where just like in baseball
3 strikes youre out (Tuttle, 2016). Many companies that already allow pets have formed their

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own rules, regulations, and most have liability forms to be signed out by the pet owners incase
anything were to happen. By having so many set standards they are able to protect the company,
the employees, and the pets.
Will there be More Pets in the Office?
In 2012 about 164 million households had at least one pet in their home, 47% owning at
least one dog and 46% owning at least one cat (Olsen, 2015). With so many people owning pets
at the moment one can only speculate how these pet lovers are influencing their children to be
animal lovers as well. With larger companies allowing pets in the work place, including
businesses like Ben and Jerrys and Mars candy, one can only wonder if other large businesses
and even smaller privately owned companies will join the few that allow pets in the workplace
(Harris, 2016).
Conclusion
Having pets in the workplace has proven pros and cons. The possibility of liability issues,
possible suing, and accidents stand in the way of some businesses, making them uninterested of
even allowing a hamster into the building. However, the amount of good having a pet in the
office can do for the employee and business itself is remarkable. Decreased sick days, less
stressed employees, healthier employees, and happier employees are all statistics shown when
pets go into the workplace. No one can know for sure what will happen in the future and how
many businesses will be willing to change their rules and regulations to allow pets. As more and
more people become pet owners, it does make one wonder if society will begin to make it more
acceptable to take them into more public spaces, including the office. Only time will tell if the
positives or negatives of allowing a pet in the workplace outweighs one another.

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References

Barker, R. T. (2005, July). On the edge or not? Opportunities for interdisciplinary scholars in
Business Communication to focus on the individual and organizational benefits of
companion animals in the workplace. The Journal of Business Communication, 299.
Barker, S., & Dawson, K. (1998). The effects of animal-assisted therapy on anxiety ratings of
hospitalized psychiatric patients. Psychiatric Services, 797-801.
Bhattarai, A. (2016, Septebmer 13). Millennials are Picking Pets Over People. Retrieved from
The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2016/09/13/millennials-are-pickingpets-over-people/
Harris, K. (2016, March 14). Looking for a Job? These 11 Companies let you Bring your Dog to
Work. Retrieved from iheartdogs.com: http://iheartdogs.com/looking-for-a-job-these-11companies-let-you-bring-your-dog-to-work/
Kudesia, R. S. (2010). Innovators love yoga and you should too. Leader to Leader(58), 11-16.
Olsen, P. E. (2015). See spot run? The dogs in the workplace debate. Journal of Case Studies,
116.
Sable, P. (2013). The pet connection: an attachment perspective. Clinical Social Work Journal,
41(1), 93-99.
Siegel, J. (1990). Stressful life events and use of physician services among the elderly: The
moderating role of pet ownership. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10811086.
Tuttle, H. (2016, April). Leashing the Risks of Pets in the Workplace. Risk Management, 10.