June 22 is Take Your Dog To Work Day

King, NC—June 12, 2012—A recent study released by Virginia Commonwealth University touts the benefits of dogs in the workplace, citing reduced perceived stress and increased job satisfaction for employees with their dogs at work. Businesses across the United States and abroad will experience these benefits firsthand—and promote the urgent need for pet adoptions—on Friday, June 22, as they participate in the 14th annual celebration of Take Your Dog To Work Day (TYDTWDay®) created by Pet Sitters International (PSI).

1-800-Got-Junk?, an international full-service junk removal company headquartered in Vancouver, BC Canada, will be one such company participating. The 2012 event marks the company's second year of celebrating dogs at work.

"Our company has always fostered a fun, creative culture, so when we heard there was a day for workplaces to officially celebrate dogs and promote adoption, we jumped at the chance to invite our employees to participate," Natalie Burgwin, public relations manager for 1-800-Got-Junk?, said. "Our TYDTWDay event brought a lot of laughter as well as some important learning about the challenges that our local shelters face. We even had a few visitors come in the office for meetings that day and they were thrilled to see we had our dogs at work."

Since TYDTWDay's inception in 1999, companies have increasingly embraced the event, allowing employees to bring their dogs to work for this fun summer Friday to support a good cause. Last summer, more than 100,000 visitors explored the official event Web site, takeyourdog.com, seeking ways to participate.

The 2012 campaign calls on companies to "increase the canine employment rate." However, TYDTWDay's mission is not to simply increase the canine employment rate by having dogs at work for this one special day. In addition, the event's goal is to help adoptable dogs find forever homes, where they can fulfill their work as best friends, stress relievers, exercise partners and more.

"TYDTWDay adds an enjoyable and positive twist to two issues of great importance—the benefits of pet companionship and the dire need for increased pet adoptions," PSI President Patti Moran said. "Our hope is that on this day the special bond between dogs and humans will be celebrated, and those without pets will see firsthand the joy shared between dogs and their loving owners—and perhaps be encouraged to give an adoptable pet a new home."

There are thousands of organized pet adoption events each year, but TYDTWDay is one of the longest-running online campaigns and the only event that focuses solely on celebrating dogs and educating pet owners in the workplace.

Partnering to promote this year's campaign are Adopt-A-Pet.com, Dog Fancy magazine, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and Fourlegglife.com, creator of National Dog Party Day.

"We at Adopt-a-Pet.com know that when adoptable pets get seen, they get saved! TYDTWDay offers the perfect opportunity for pet owners to show off their dogs and raise awareness about the need for pet adoption. We hope participants will be encouraged to adopt their next pet and they can easily use Adopt-a-Pet.com to find local pets searching for forever homes," said Katya Friedman, director of partnerships and promotions at Adopt-a-Pet.com.

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 18-22.

PSI and its 2012 campaign partners encourage businesses, shelters and pet lovers interested in celebrating TYDTWDay to visit takeyourdog.com to register support, download a free 2012 TYDTWDay Action Pack and enter the official 2012 TYDTWDay Photo Contest. Site visitors can also search for local adoptable pets. To learn more about event creator PSI, visit petsit.com.  

About Pet Sitters International

Founded by Patti Moran in 1994, Pet Sitters International (PSI) is the world's largest educational association for professional pet sitters, representing more than 7,000 independent professional in-home pet care businesses in the United States, Canada and abroad. PSI provides members with access to affordable bonding and liability insurance as well as educational resources that include a comprehensive Certification Program, Pet Sitter's WORLD magazine, The Scoop e-news and PSI's annual Quest convention. For more information, visit www.petsit.com, home of the Official Pet Sitter Locator™ or sign up to receive The Scoop on Pet Care. Visit the PSIStoreOnline, the largest specialty retailer of products for pet sitters and pet-sitting business owners.