Welcome to the Week’s Review of Canine Social Media
Welcome to this Special Feature on the DoggieU K9 Blog for an update on this week’s dog-related social media from around the world. There are so many stories. Here we will share some of the best stories this week.
Enjoy & share them.
Pet Parents Returning to Office to Work – Guess Who They Will Miss Most!
According to WAG (a technology company that supports dog-related services in all 50 states) a survey of pet parents across the nation who are beginning to return to work offered some interesting opinions.
Over one-thousand responded and nearly half of those returning to work (41%) said that they’ll miss their dogs even more than their kids or spouses. And for new dog parents who adopted during the pandemic, 76% are very concerned about pet care challenges upon returning to work in-person.
Some other key highlights from the survey include:
- Dogs are the best medicine: 93% say parenting a dog has provided them mental health support, and 48% say that dog parenting has decreased their anxiety.
- Puppy love is real: 37% say that the most surprising thing about parenting a new puppy was the overwhelming amount of love for their new friend
- Despite the joy of parenting a new dog, the time and effort required is a big surprise: 37% said that the amount of love for their new puppy is the top surprise for new puppy parents, but close behind is how much training is needed.
- Pet insurance is the single biggest challenge for new dog parents: 63% of respondents expressed surprise at how much time, effort and money was required for pet insurance, more than any other challenge of becoming a new pet parent
- Travel is Tricky: 28% travel frequently with their dog(s), and another 29% say they would travel more if they could take their dog(s).
[Link to WAG] [Source]
A Movement to Incorporate Pets Into the Workplace
A growing number of businesses across Canada and the US have signed a pledge to recognize, celebrate and incorporate pets into their workplace.
A recent survey by OnePoll of 2,000 employed pet owners found that 71% have made a significant life change because of their pet. The past two years have been
difficult for many, saying they’d benefit more from a pet-friendly office now than they would have before the pandemic.Other results highlighted that:
- Six in 10 have previously left a job because they were forced to return to an office that wasn’t pet-friendly.
- Seven in 10 are willing to accept a pay cut if it means they can bring their pet to work.
- Forty-eight percent said their pets have improved their productivity at work, including more than half of both cat and dog owners (56% and 53%).
- Overall, more than two-thirds credited new friendships at work to their fur pals, with the average person gaining seven new work buddies.
- People’s pets have also transformed their workdays, with cats (56%) and dogs (54%) both giving their humans a sense of comfort.
The data shows that many pet parents have had positive experiences when their pets have played a role in the workplace. Pets can help create and maintain a positive culture at work while improving people’s mental health and fostering friendships between colleagues.”
The survey was sponsored by Vetster.com, a veterinary telehealth platform that connects pet owners to licensed veterinarians, encourages companies to include pet parents in the fabric of their culture, benefits solutions, and flexible work strategies.
A number of organizations are sponsoring a #NationalPetDayOff (which is April 11th, 2022) with the goal of bringing awareness to the role that pets play in the lives of employees and the workplace. Pet ownership has surged over the last two years, with 70 percent of North American households having at least one pet. This, coupled with the Great Resignation and 20-million Americans quitting their jobs, makes it hard to ignore the correlation when more than two-thirds of survey respondents say they have searched for more flexible jobs that would enable them to devote more time to caring for their pets.
According to Vetster CEO Mark Bordo, “We’ve normalized taking care of kids during working hours, so why not include all members of the household?” Bordo added. “Companies can do their part by giving employees a full- or half-day off to care for their fur friends, donating to a charity of their choice, or organizing a pet meet-up on National Pet Day.”
Other survey results include:
TOP LIFE CHANGES PEOPLE MAKE FOR PETS
Getting more active – 44%
Moving somewhere with more room for pets – 44%
Moving somewhere pet-friendly – 41%
Changing work schedules – 39%
Starting or ending a relationship – 35%
Buying a car – 32%
Choosing whether or not to have kids – 32%
Moving to another city or region – 32%
Changing jobs – 31%
Celebrate National Pet Day Off [Link]
Link to Vetster with telehealth Vets in most states [Link]
Could this be the Agility of tomorrow? Or a Ninja Warrior Challenge for Canines?
This dog is amazing!
This dog is parkour master (it is getting batter and batter)
by inDamnthatsinteresting