The Pets at Work contest ended on 1/15/13. The winner’s information will be posted on Purina.com around May 1, 2013. Stay tuned to learn about the winning business and its Pets at Work program.

At Purina, we believe that pets and people are better together. In fact, many of us are so attached to our pets that we bring them to work every day. Not only do our pets get more time to socialize and play, but we find that it boosts our work environment as well. Maybe that's one reason Purina recently ranked 1st among 19 St. Louis companies in the "Top Places to Work" employee survey (2011 and 2012) conducted by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

We know the benefits of pets in the workplace firsthand. That's why we're working to inspire other workplaces to become pet-friendly too. 

Benefits for Your Pet

SOCIALIZATION

Pets get to be in a new place, meet new people and see new things.

MORE TIME TOGETHER

Pets get more quality time with their owners.

Benefits for Employees

MORE INSPIRATION AND RELAXATION

Having pets nearby can keep an employee relaxed and happy – making work better and more enjoyable.

IMPROVED JOB SATISFACTION

Our employee surveys indicate that this program is a benefit for employees, and Human Resources believes it helps with retention.

MORE CO-WORKER INTERACTION

Pets add another layer of interaction between co-workers, and otherwise quiet employees can become more engaged when talking to a co-worker about their pets.

HEALTHY BREAK TIME

Dog owners spend their breaks walking and caring for their dogs, getting them on their feet. Even just taking a few minutes to play with a pet can provide a mental break and lower stress.

HEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE

For many people, pets are a huge part of their lives. Companies that encourage pets in the workplace show that they care about their employees and the balance between worklife and homelife.

LOWERED STRESS

A recent study showed that employees who brought pets to work tended to show less signs of stress.