Workplace Paws-itivity

By James Yu Feb. 11, 2026

Exhausting commutes. Soul-crushing assignments. Debilitating meetings. While many may feel that work is isolating, for some pet owners emotional support is on the way. Across the country, workplaces are adopting pet-friendly policies, allowing employees to bring their pets to the office.  

Companies are opening up the traditionally hairless and two-legged workplace to employees’ furry four-legged friends, primarily dogs and cats, in order to boost employee engagement and mental health. According to the American Heart Association, 95% of pet owners rely on their pets for stress relief. Thus, by preventing their separation when owners leave for work, over 70% of owners say they would be happier and more productive with their pets by their sides.  

“My cat is my closest friend. As I am starting to apply for jobs, I am looking for a place that would allow my cat to stick around,” Sophomore Shivansh Sathya said.  

Helen Ruan Art

Allowing pets in the workplace presents immense potential benefits to employers. With a 2023 Gallup poll finding that 44% of employees are stressed at work, offering employees stress-relief through their pets can keep workers more connected to their work. Moreover, Nationwide, the first and largest provider of pet health insurance, reports that 90% of employees in pet-friendly workspaces feel highly aligned with their company’s mission, whereas in workplaces without pets less than 65% felt the same way. Additionally, a 2018 Nationwide survey conducted in collaboration with the Human Animal Bond Research Institute concluded that 85% of employees at pet-friendly workplaces rarely miss a day of work to look after their well-being, whereas just 77% report the same in workspaces with traditional policies. These outcomes suggest that introducing pets into the workplace reduces employee stress, resulting in higher productivity. Given these benefits, employees may be more enticed to work for companies with pet-friendly policies, resulting in a recruitment edge for employers. In fact, a LiveCareer study quantified that 52% of employee respondents stated that pet-friendly workspaces are an important consideration when selecting an employer. 

As a result, companies across the world are reforming their policies to reap the benefits of a pet-friendly workspace. Large tech giants such as Google and Amazon allow employees to bring their pets, primarily dogs, to work. At Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, over 6,000 dogs frequent the campus, with over 15,000 dogs registered across 129 campuses. Additionally, Nationwide furthers that half of the Fortune 500, companies regarded as the United States’ 500 largest in revenue, and over 7,500 U.S. employees are offering pet health insurance as an optional benefit for employees.  

“Having the option to have my dogs with me at the karate studio would have been exhilarating! I frequently practice moves while my dogs watch, so having my teammates there would have made teaching others feel much easier,” Senior Aarav Jamdar said.  

While introducing pets to the workplace introduces concerns over potential allergies and reduced professionalism, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce explains that workplaces can implement designated animal spaces and specific feeding times to alleviate these issues. However, businesses remain liable for potential injuries caused by pets, such as bites or slips. As companies innovate new solutions to rising employee disengagement, workplace policies will continue to evolve to balance the comfort of employees with pets with the maintenance of office professionalism. Nevertheless, incorporating employees’ furry friends is a growing trend to alleviate stress and increase productivity.  

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About the Contributors

James Yu

Ad Manager

James Yu is a Senior at Leland High School and Ad Manager for The Charger Account. He loves listening writing sweet ledes! Outside of Journalism, he enjoys debating for the debate team, hanging out with friends, and sleeping.

Helen Ruan

artist

Helen Ruan is a junior at Leland High School. She contributes to journalism as an artist. In her free time, she focuses on painting and developing new artistic skills. Beyond art, she enjoys reading manga and playing video games.