2012 Take Your Dog To Work Day Media Kit

Download the 2012 Take Your Dog To Work Day Press Kit.

Bloggers, writers and reporters, PSI appreciates your support and welcomes media inquiries! E-mail takeyourdog@petsit.com or contact Beth Stultz at (336) 983-7747 to schedule an interview, request additional information or receive information on local participating businesses.

Please note: Articles, blog posts, etc. should properly cite the event name as Pet Sitters International's Take Your Dog To Work Day® in the first mention.

PSI's Take Your Dog To Work Day® History & F.A.Q.s

• TYDTWDay® was first celebrated in 1999.
• It was created by Pet Sitters International (PSI) to celebrate the great companions dogs make and promote their adoptions.
• The event encourages employers to experience the joys of pets in the workplace for one day to support their local pet community.
• TYDTWDay is an annual event and is always celebrated on the Friday following Father's Day.
• It also accommodates cat lovers (and other pets) and those who cannot participate on TYDTWDay. The entire week leading up to the event, June 18-22, is Take Your Pet To Work Week™.
• PSI feels that through the events, non-pet owners are able to witness the special bond their co-workers have with their pets firsthand and be encouraged to adopt a new best friend of their own.
• An estimated 300 businesses participated in the inaugural celebration of TYDTWDay. Since that time, America’s love affair with pets and interest in TYDTWDay has grown by leaps and bounds.
• Because of the event's growth, PSI is unable to track the exact number of participants. However, businesses from across the U.S. and abroad contact PSI each year to share their participation.  Reporters can contact PSI for information on local participating businesses.
• You can follow TYDTWDay on Facebook and Twitter.

The U.S. has gone to the dogs...Literally!

Consider this:

• According to the 2011-2012 American Pet Products Association (APPA) National Pet Owners Survey, 62 percent of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 72.9 millions homes.
• There are more than 78 million dogs in 46.3 million households across the country.
• According to a APPA national poll, nearly 20 percent of Americans report that their workplaces permit pets.
• More than 125,000 visitors explored Takeyourdog.com during the 2011 campaign to learn more about the event.
• Pet owners will spend an estimated $50.84 billion on their pets in 2011, nearly double the $28.5 billion spent on U.S. pets in 2001, according to the APPA.

PSI maintains a list of participating businesses that have given permission to share their information with media. To locate a participating business in your area, contact Beth Stultz at bethstultz@petsit.com.

Looking for a unique angle for your coverage of this year’s TYDTWDay celebration?

1. The canine unemployment rate is rising!

Surveys show the positive impact dogs-and other pets-have on our lives. From reducing stress and anxiety to encouraging physical acitivty and social interaction for their owners, dogs have an important job in our lives. Yet, intake at animal shelters has grown at a startling rate—with an estimated six to eight million cats and dogs entering shelters in the United States each year. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) estimates that nearly half of these pets are ultimately euthanized.

Adopting a dog from shelter, rescue group or humane society puts these deserving dogs to work and saves lives!

Businesses participating in TYDTWDay are spreading the word about the need for pet adoption. Village Green, an apartment management company in Detroit, Mich., will be hosting its 13th TYDTWDay celebration in 2012. The company selects a new theme for the event each year and uses the day to raise money for the Animal Placement Bureau (APB) in Lansing, Mich. Since 2000, the company's TYDTWDay events have raised nearly $35,000 to help local pets in need!

PSI has also partnered with Adoptapet.com to allow TYDTWDay participants and Takeyourdog.com site visitors an easy way to search for adoptable pets in their communities.

2. Work Hard, Play Hard—A double celebration to benefit dogs:

PSI has teamed up with pet expert Arden Moore, founder of Fourleggedlife.com and creator of National Dog Party Day, to offer pet owners two ways to celebrate the great companions dogs make on Friday, June 22, 2012.

PSI and Fourleggedlife.com encourage dog lovers across the country to embrace a full day of working hard and playing hard with their dogs to celebrate the special person-pooch bond and promote pet adoption.