Having a ruff day at the office?
Would you love a dog running around the office? You’re not the only one.
Over half (56%) of people believe companies that have a pet friendly policy are more attractive places to work, according to a new study published this week.
The study, by the ISPCA and Mars Petcare, also found that more than 1 in 4 (27%) claim a pet friendly policy would influence their choice of where to work, while respondents also claimed that having a pet in the office would bring multiple benefits to their work-life including stress relief, better mental health support, and to help create a more relaxed and fun atmosphere.
Dr Cyril Sullivan, CEO of the ISPCA, said: “The insights from this research are fascinating and shed light on social, economic and health impacts of pet ownership in Ireland. The ISPCA is constantly looking for loving homes to adopt or foster pets that are rescued and rehabilitated by the ISPCA for rehoming, and what this research highlights are the benefits of pet ownership not only to the welfare of the rescued pet, but also to the health and well-being of the family.
“This is particularly timely and important in a post-Covid return-to-the-office environment where there may be doubts about adopting a pet.”
Desire for pet-friendly establishments
While pets may be a frequent feature in restaurants in the UK and across Europe, over half (53%) of respondents felt there were not enough pet-friendly hospitality locations or businesses in their local area, across Ireland. 43% of respondents said establishments with dog friendly policies would increase the likelihood of them going out to eat, while 28% of people surveyed confirmed they check if a hotel has a dog friendly policy in place before booking.
Irish people’s love for their pets
Dogs continue to be the most popular pet type in Ireland, with almost twice as many respondents owning dogs than cats – 52% compared to 28%. Households with children were also more likely to own dogs, at 58%. Residents of Munster have the second highest percentage of dog ownership nationally (56%). Attitudes towards pet owners were overwhelming positive, with the most popular adjectives used to describe pet owners being ‘responsible’, ‘caring’ and ‘more family oriented’.
77% of people agreed that dogs were a part of the family – additional findings that showed 78% of people bought their dog a Christmas present, 65% celebrated their dog’s birthday, and 55% of people would take their dog’s needs into consideration when planning home renovations.
Despite the massive increase in pet profiles on Instagram, less than 20% of pet owners said they would set up a profile for their pet.
Over 1,000 adults participated in the research in June which was conducted by Kantar on behalf of the ISPCA and Mars.