DOGS Trust Ireland is celebrating their third national ‘Dog Friendly Ireland Day’ today but it is very different to previous years. This year, the charity is calling on dog lovers to take part digitally and share photos of their dogs ‘working’ from home.
Over the past two years, the day has been part of a wider initiative to encourage more organisations and services across the country to become dog friendly.
However, with the majority of dog owners still working from home due to lockdown, the charity is asking people to celebrate the unique bond they have with their furry co-workers and brighten up social media with photos using the hashtag #DogFriendlyIrelandDay.
Deborah Martin of Dogs Trust Ireland explained: ‘These are extraordinary times and for a lot of people now, our homes are now our working places. We have had to adapt to major changes in our everyday lives and it has also changed dramatically for our furry friends. Our dogs have never spent so much time with their owners and have also had to get used to us all staying put. So, this year, given that most homes in Ireland are now our workplaces, we have decided to acknowledge our canine colleagues!
‘Dogs are really social creatures and love to be included in their owners’ activities so, we would love to see social media full of photos of dogs being work colleagues, taking part in digital meetings and hear any stories of how your dog has helped you through lockdown.’
Dogs Trust is also calling on the public to celebrate their canine colleagues today by donating the cost of your coffee or commute to the charity so they can continue to care for abandoned dogs in Ireland.
Holly Carpenter, former Miss Ireland and Dogs Trust Ireland ambassador said: ‘My foster dog Max, from Dogs Trus,t has been such a source of comfort to me. Just looking at him brightens up my day, he encourages me to get out for walks and it’s hard to imagine life without him. Lockdown has been tough on a lot of people’s mental health and dogs have been heroes by just being there for their humans so, today is all about celebrating that bond and thanking dogs for their companionship. If you can, please consider donating what you would normally spend on a coffee or travel to work to Dogs Trust today so they can help many more dogs like my fosterling Max.’
Dogs Trust looks forward to the day when dogs are an accepted passenger on public transport, a welcome visitor in the workplace, a wanted tenant in rental accommodation and a regular customer in most food-serving establishments across the country.
Find Dogs Trust on Facebook and Instagram or follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #DogFriendlyIreland or #DogFriendlyIrelandDay
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