Progressive businesses have recognised the value of allowing dogs in the workplace and are supporting an annual event called 'Take Your Dog to Work Day' Friday June 20 in an attempt to support and develop this healthy trend.
Innovative businesses in the US like Amazon, Google, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and universities have developed official pet policies as part of the employee handbook and have set out rules and procedures for introducing and maintaining pets in the work environment.
These initiatives not only encourage worker loyalty and take the strain off leaving pets at home; they can also be effective in stress relief and socialisation of staff as well as having a welcoming nose for clients.
Having a pet at work can:
· increase productivity
· add to a casual corporate environment
· encourage healthy relationships among staff as they socialise with the animals during the day
· encourage needed physical and mental breaks
· enhance the sense of community
Your work might like to think about writing a “Pets at Work” policy. If so, make sure it takes into consideration:
· the needs of non-dog staff and those who may have pet allergies
· a standard of animal etiquette and behaviour
· the security of the office environment
· the importance of up to date vaccinations
· lead requirements when entering or leaving a building
· animal’s being reliably house or office trained so they won’t leave behind any surprises!
Further details on “Take Your Dog to Work Day” are posted on www.muttspace.com.au.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Take Your Dog to Work Day, Friday June 20, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
A purrfect conversationalist
Most cat owners are able to interpret the range of meows their cat makes and believe it to be the means cats use for communication, but meows are directed almost exclusively at humans. In cat-to-cat communications the meow is used mainly between mother and kitten and not between adult cats.
Cats which live with humans have learnt that a small amount of effort achieves maximum results and have become highly skilled at managing humans to get what they want - food, shelter and human affection.
When cats first began wandering into Egyptian households thousands of years ago, it was probably the pleasant sounding cats that were accepted into human society. Even today it is the pleasant sounding cats which are the most likely to be adopted from pounds and shelters, while the demanding ones risk being left behind.
Scientists have detected sixteen distinct feline vocal sounds and believe there are many others inaudible to humans. It is known that cats can change the inflection of the voice to indicate whether they are happy, sad, anxious, lost, looking for someone, surprised, or even just keen to announce their arrival.
Humans can assign meaning to cat sounds because through long association with cats, they have learnt the connection between various sounds and behaviours.
As well as using the well known “meow” cats use a range of other vocalisations to express their opinion. Hisses, growls and screams are usually made by a frightened or angry cat that feels threatened and wants to discourage attack.
Cats that are permanently confined indoors make chirping and chattering sounds, often accompanied by rapid clicking of the teeth, when looking through windows at birds which are beyond reach.
The way a cat makes its purr is a mystery to scientists but it is thought that it is meant as a means of communication, although scientists are now considering whether it may have a deeper meaning - a type of cat ‘mantra’. Mother cats purr while feeding kittens and the kittens purr along with her. Purring is most often heard when the cat is being petted or stroked by a human and so is interpreted as being the sign of a happy cat. However, cats also purr under stress or when they are in pain. The pitch of the purr varies according to the cat’s mood. Scientists have measured the cat’s purr at a frequency between 25 and 150 Hertz which are the sound frequencies shown in medical tests to improve bone density and promote healing.
Cat owners who feel relaxed and happy with a purring cat on their lap may just be gaining more than companionship.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Pet Ownership may address Community Health Crisis
An international first, the symposium brought together over a dozen academics and experts who presented research demonstrating the beneficial relationship between companion animals (particularly cats and dogs), social trust and social capital.
Social Capital
While previous research relates to the individual benefits of pet ownership, new research suggests that there are collective benefits for communities via the presence of pets, extending well beyond pet owners themselves.[1]
Dr Lisa Wood, a research fellow of The University of Western Australia, has been investigating the relationship between pets, social capital, neighbourhood environments and health as part of a larger study being conducted in Perth. Her research concludes that:
· 84% of pet owners spoke with other pet owners when walking their dog
· 50% of dog owners got to know others as a result of their dog
· 70% pet owners rarely or never felt lonely
· 74 % pet owners rarely or never found it hard meet others
· 60% of pet owners were more likely to be actively engaged in community activities
“Social capital can take many forms,” said Dr Lisa Wood. “It can be as simple as the lending of a cup of sugar or as inspired as a community rallying towards a common cause. In simple terms, it behaves as the social glue or fabric of our communities. Our research appears to show that pets are playing a vital role in its continued health and development.”
“Overall,” she said “pets’ help people meet each other, chat together and enjoy each other’s company. All of which goes a long way towards building happier, healthier neighbourhoods.”
Urban Planning
Professor Billie Giles-Corti, a Professor at the University of Western Australia, has been examining the effects that urban planning has on social capital.
Her research, taken over a five year period, reveals that neighbourhoods designed with attractive, pet friendly, walkable streets may in fact be helping create effective social networks while concurrently addressing the nation’s obesity epidemic.
“Urban design that plans for community needs and networks,” said Professor Giles-Corti “will encourage people to walk up to three times more than those neighbourhoods characterised by poorly connected streets and inaccessible shops and services.”
Ms Virginia Jackson, a town planner and leading authority on the place of pets in city environments, also spoke at the symposium. Presenting research accumulated over years working with national organisations, Ms Jackson voiced concerns over urban consolidation and pet ownership regulations, regarding them as potential threats to the benefits of companion animals.
While two thirds of Australian households currently own pets, statistics from a 2006 Australian Companion Animal Council report show that pet numbers in Australia are in decline.
“If we want people to continue enjoying the benefits of pet ownership,” said Ms Jackson “then it is vital that in planning our domestic and public spaces, we genuinely consider pet and pet owners needs.”
“If we choose to ignore these needs, there is a very real danger that pet ownership will become an option enjoyed only by the elite few.”
Faye Gravenall, the President of the Eltham Recreational Walkers Group supported Jackson’s words. In presenting the local stories of dog walkers in her area, Faye illustrated the tangible social support that the elderly and the vulnerable found through their daily dog walking activities.
“Dog walkers may not dress in Lycra or wear team colours,” said Ms Gravenall “but we’re just as vital and important to the health of a community as any other group and we need our requirements to be respected.”
Health
With 70% of males and 52% of females classified as overweight or obese in Australia, heart disease and diabetes is taking on alarming proportions in the country’s population.
Since the Baker Institute research of 1992 concluded that pet owners had lower levels of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, researchers have continued in their efforts to study companion animals and their resultant health benefits.
The first study that set out to explore the relationship between a parent and child’s physical activity (PA) levels and dog ownership was presented at the symposium by Dr Jo Salmon, a senior research fellow at Deakin University, Melbourne.
After studying 1200 parents and children across Melbourne, Dr Salmon found that those who owned dogs had significantly higher PA levels than those that did not.
According to the results younger girls that walked dogs exercised 29 minutes more on average than those who did not. Similarly, mothers that walked dogs were 70% more likely to meet exercise guidelines than otherwise.
Hayley Cutt, an Associate Lecturer at the University of Western Australia, has developed a study measuring the health and social implications of dog walking in the community. She delivered the results at the symposium.
“The DAPA Study (Dogs and Physical Activity Study) plainly shows that those who own dogs receive a broad array of physical benefits,” said Ms Cutt “including increased cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure and fewer visits to the GP.”
And while just 45% of Australians achieve the sufficient amount of physical activity, 80% of dog owners manage to achieve the recommended levels.
Conclusion
Current community health priorities in developed countries include physical inactivity, obesity and mental health. Overlaying these individual health issues however are worldwide concerns about the social determinants of health and the erosion of social capital.
The results of the research presented at the symposium suggest that pets have the potential to play an important role in a addressing these concerns. With pet ownership rates at more than 60%, the window of opportunity to do so is wide open.
[1] Wood, L., Giles- Corti, B, & Bulsara, M. (2005). The pet connection: Pets as a conduit for social capital? Social Science & Medicine, 61, 1159-1173.
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