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EP#50 - The Do's & Don'ts of Pets at work..."Don't let them fool ya..."
There’s information floating around about taking pets to our offices or to work once 'things' start opening back up.
*Statistics on Petco's website from a 2021 Petco Consumer Survey of 2,001 US pet parents indicates the following:
*44% of Pet Parents want their employers to adopt a pet friendly workplace
*69% of pet parents are stressed about how going back to work will impact their pet.
* 83% of pet parents had minimized stress levels due to working from home in close contact with their pets
. I have to comments about that 83% reduction in stress levels due to working from home …shouldn’t we factor in the reduced stress from not having to commute, being able to wake up later than normal, or the fact that we can roll out of bed get our coffee and start work in our underwear!
*This survey, this information about how we benefit is laid out on Petco's website.
Will taking our pets to work benefit them?
I did a not so technical survey of 12 trainers and 3 vets and 100% of them agreed that we may be doing more harm than good by not providing space, rest and alone time for our pets – Anxiety & further emotional agitation can ensue which may even lead to physical health problems, said 1veterinarian.
So HOW is this take your pet to work trend that Petco is leading healthy for the pets? Perhaps it’s another crutch or the humans’ toxic way of using our pets for the wrong reasons. Is it entitlement for the pet owner or are they misinformed by these very campaign claims which are at best set forth based on the trivial self-interest of this company pushing this as the comeback solution post pandemic? ...I’m curious about this survey of 2001 participants in the midst of a pandemic where many, if not most people, are working from home offices & business travel has been exorbitantly reduced – I am curious what part of this survey takes into consideration the emotional and physical health of our dogs and cats? am I missing the point am I the only one that finds it appalling that companies like Petco want us to juxtapose our pets into a human stress relief mental health tool box as if they have no emotional needs ?
we have so many available resources to help us handle stresses and anxieties but to add our pets to the mix along with the hammer and nail –
Let me throw another similar example at you…do you recall in the recent past the plethora of fake service animal certifications being given out (for a $) by shrinks - Unethical? I would say so. For the people that actually need the service and guidance of properly trained service animals that are protected under the Americans with disabilities Act or real ESA who are trained and provide comfort for people with DOCUMENTED mental health conditions these fake certifications diminish the value and perception of actual service animals - and often have dire consequences for those that require the assistance of trained animals.
If we claim we are for equity, equality and protecting our rights then these fake service animal certifications justified by the users seems to sit on the side of self-interest & entitlement for the person that is ok with using the counterfeit certification- it is not, at all, considering the safety and protection of those that need service animals and the potential harm it can do to a segment of society that relies on these working animals to survive the day to day lives most of us have the luxury to be able to live and thrive in without assistance. Intellectually I put the pets at work campaign into the same bucket as the fraudulent service animal certifications – the consideration for the welfare of the animals has been replaced by a company’s desire to get as much business as possible no matter the harm they cause – I can see how a pet owner might think this is a good option to have for going back to work after spending the last year cooped up working from a corner of your home but understanding the motives of this campaign and the ignorance of the potential hazards awaiting your pets mental and physical health for the sake of their potential increased sales is what I want each pet owner to think about. As Bob Marley said, don’t’ let them fool ya…or even try to school ya.
There is a cost factor! We can pursue this path at the expense of the pets’ health and at the expense of our own bank accounts…who will be the beneficiaries of our actions and choices? That is up to you and what you choose to do!
In this episode Rachel and I discuss separation anxiety and talk a bit about not taking your cats or dogs to work.... Would love to hear your thoughts – talk to me – email me at tazz@petropolist.com. 1 final note before we start – I want to thank you for supporting me and listening – this is our 50th episode and there are many more coming- I am enriched by your comments and most of all grateful to you for joining me on this journey.