Takeyourdog.com Helps Communities Celebrate the Dog Days of Summer in a Paws-a-tive Way!

Friday, June 20, 2008 will officially kick off the dog days of summer. However, for dog lovers, June 20 will also mark Pet Sitters International’s 10th annual Take Your Dog To Work Day®—the official dog day of summer 2008. In celebration of this notable event, PSI has launched takeyourdog.com—a canine-centric microsite designed to help businesses, animal shelters and pet-care professionals unite in recognition of the great companions dogs make. The microsite celebrates a decade of working dogs in grand fashion with entertaining features and content aimed at canine enthusiasts. The site also features a photo contest for dog owners who wish to share pictures of their own “working dogs.” Visitors to the site can enter the contest by uploading their own working dog photos, as well as view and rate others’ contest photos. There is also a feature that allows users to rate other contest photos. PSI will select a winning photo at the conclusion of the event. The winning photo submission will receive fantastic prizes from select event sponsors. PSI will provide a grand prize of $500 cash to the winner and a $500 matching contribution to the shelter of his/her choice. PSI has also added helpful content to the microsite to equip dog-loving employees with information they need to convince their bosses to take part in this worthwhile event. A useful “Guide to Taking Your Dog to Work” is available on the site as a free downloaded PDF. The guide contains helpful forms that make organizing a Take Your Dog To Work Day event easy. There is also a media alert template that human resources and public relations professionals can use to notify the local media about their events. “For the past ten years, thousands of businesses have opened their doors to their employee’s canine companions in celebration of Take Your Dog To Work Day,” says Patti Moran, president of Pet Sitters International. “Participation in our event brings needed attention to the issue of pet overpopulation, but in a positive way. We believe that when businesses, animal shelters and pet-care professionals partner through this event; hearts will be touched and many shelter dogs will find forever homes. With that in mind, isn’t it time your co-workers met your best friend?” Anyone interested in participating in PSI’s 10th annual Take Your Dog To Work Day is encouraged to visit takeyourdog.com and register. Individuals who register also will be entered into a drawing for dog-a-rific prizes from Pet Sitters International, the PSIStoreOnline and select event sponsors.