National Take Your Dog to Work Day

Picture it: a summer Friday, the sun is shining, and your four-legged best friend is trotting beside you into the office like the newest hire. That is the whole glorious idea. Employers open their doors to employees’ dogs for one fun summer Friday, companies with remote teams host virtual celebrations of their pets, and businesses across the United States and around the world join in. The day is always the Friday after Father’s Day, which makes it easy to remember and impossible to confuse with anything less joyful.

The holiday was created in 1999 by Pet Sitters International (PSI), the educational association for professional pet sitters based in King, North Carolina. PSI itself was founded in 1994 by Patti J. Moran, and the idea for the day grew out of something serious: in the 1990s, Moran kept seeing story after story about rising shelter intake rates across the country, and she wanted a unique way for PSI to give back to the pet community from which its members earn their living. The mission was clear from the start: celebrate the great companions dogs make and promote their adoptions. An estimated 300 businesses participated in the very first one, and it has been growing ever since.

The science says your dog earns that desk space. In PSI surveys, 82 percent of participants said pets help reduce stress in the workplace, 63 percent said pets increase interaction and collaboration between coworkers, and 51 percent of pet owners said that a pet-friendly policy would be the deciding factor between two otherwise equal employers. Other studies have found that employees who bring their dogs to work show reduced stress throughout the day compared to colleagues without pets. The perks are real enough that some companies never stopped: one famous example allows thousands of dogs in its offices year-round, with reception desks stocked with dog treats and buildings designed for four-legged coworkers.

Doing it right takes a little planning, and PSI offers checklists for owners and managers alike. Before the big day, check with your manager for approval and ask the people who share your workspace about any concerns. Puppy-proof your area: remove dangerous cords, valuable items, and poisonous plants, and bring beds, gates, or crates from home. On the day itself, bring a healthy dog who genuinely enjoys new places and new people, plus a leash and well-fitting harness, plenty of small treats, poop bags, a mat or bed, chew toys to keep busy paws occupied, and a backup plan in case your office buddy finds it all a bit much. If bringing your dog is not practical, you can still join in: get everyone to print pictures of their dogs and post them around the workplace.

Behind all the fun sits a serious cause. The whole point of the day, from its first year to its 26th, is to encourage people to adopt dogs from local shelters, rescue groups, and humane societies. Many companies partner with local rescue organizations to bring adoptable dogs into the office for the day, turning the celebration into a matchmaking event. And the fun is not limited to dogs: the day anchors Take Your Pets to Work Week, which kicks off with Take Your Cat To Work Day on the Monday. Whatever species shares your home, the message is the same: our pets bring us joy, and the ones still waiting in shelters deserve that same joy in return.

The day has had some impressive birthdays. The 25th annual Take Your Dog to Work Day was celebrated on Friday, June 23, 2023, and the 26th on Friday, June 21, 2024, each one bigger than the last, with thousands of social media posts flooding feeds every year on the Friday after Father’s Day. Famous dog-friendly companies have turned participation into a year-round lifestyle. As many as 6,000 dogs “work” alongside their owners at Amazon’s offices, where reception desks at the Seattle headquarters are stocked with dog treats, dog-friendly water fountains abound, and one building even has a “doggie deck” complete with a fake fire hydrant. Tito’s Handmade Vodka not only allows dogs to roam its Austin headquarters but started its own animal rescue program, “Vodka for Dog People.” From the corner office to the cubicle, dogs have officially joined the workforce, and one summer Friday a year the whole world gets to see how it is done.

Planning to join in? PSI makes it easy with a free event toolkit for participants, packed with virtual and in-person celebration tips, a sample “dogs at work” policy, and employee participation form templates. Managers can use it to set ground rules, schedule potty breaks, and plan a group photo that will break the company chat. Remote teams are encouraged to celebrate virtually, with video-call introductions for every four-legged coworker. And if your workplace cannot host dogs even for a day, the toolkit spirit still applies: decorate your desk, swap photos, and donate to a local shelter. The goal is joy, with a side of adoption, and every office can deliver that.

THE STORY BEHIND NATIONAL TAKE YOUR DOG TO WORK DAY

🐶 Born in 1999
Pet Sitters International created Take Your Dog to Work Day in 1999, and it is always celebrated the Friday after Father’s Day. The goal was to celebrate the great companions dogs make and to promote their adoptions, and businesses have been opening their doors to employees’ dogs for one fun summer Friday ever since.

❤️ A Cause Behind the Fun
PSI was founded in 1994 by Patti J. Moran, and she created the day after seeing story after story about rising shelter intake rates in the 1990s. She wanted a unique way for PSI to give back to the pet community. An estimated 300 businesses participated in the first year, and the event has grown into a global celebration of adoption.

📊 The Numbers Say Yes
In PSI surveys, 82 percent of participants said pets help reduce stress in the workplace, 63 percent said pets increase interaction and collaboration between coworkers, and 51 percent of pet owners said a pet-friendly policy would decide between two equal employers. Year after year, participating businesses report that the event is a hit and look forward to doing it again.

📅 A Whole Week of It
The day anchors Take Your Pets to Work Week, which kicks off with Take Your Cat To Work Day on the Monday. Companies with remote employees are encouraged to host virtual celebrations, so nobody’s pet has to miss out on the fun.

💼 Prep Like a Pro
PSI’s owner checklist is simple: get manager approval, check with coworkers, puppy-proof your space, and bring a healthy, social dog with a leash, treats, poop bags, a bed, chew toys, and a backup plan. A little preparation keeps tails wagging and keyboards unchewed.

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

🐶 Bring Your Office Buddy
On June 25, leash up your healthy, well-socialized dog and head to work together. Get your manager’s approval first, prep your workspace, and pack the essentials: leash, treats, poop bags, bed, and chew toys. Then enjoy the best Friday of the year.

📷 Share Your Coworkers
If dogs cannot come into your office, have everyone print photos of their dogs and post them around the workplace. Decorate desks with paw prints, run a cutest-dog vote, and share the fun with the hashtag #TakeYourDogToWorkDay.

🏠 Champion Shelter Adoption
Invite a local shelter or rescue group to bring adoptable dogs to the office, or organize a donation drive for supplies. Use the day to start the adoption paperwork yourself: the perfect office buddy might be waiting at your local shelter right now.

Celebrate National Take Your Dog to Work Day

On June 25, 2027, bring your best friend to work and show the office what unconditional enthusiasm looks like. Wagging tails, lower stress, and maybe one more adopted dog in the world: that is a Friday worth celebrating.