EMPLOYEES across the country will be participating in Bring Your Dog To Work Day next month.

The event on June 23 is backed by pet product company HOWND and will promote and raise money for animal welfare.

Companies such as SSE, Private Fly, and Shore Capital are all involved, and comedian Ricky Gervais and ITV’s Loose Women have tweeted their support for the day.

The benefits of allowing people to bring their pets to work have been studied in some depth by Virginia Commonwealth University. The research showed an 11 per cent reduction in the stress levels of employees.

“The presence of pets can substantially reduce a person’s stress level in the workplace. Increased job satisfaction, team cooperation and morale have all been reported in employees that spend the workday with their pets,” explained Jo Amit, co-founder of HOWND.

Businesses that wish to take part can do so as business sponsors. Previous years saw a wide range of businesses from across many industries getting involved and this is set to increase.

The two official charities for 2017 are All Dogs Matter, which rescues and rehomes hundreds of dogs each year in the UK and Animals Asia, a charity foundation that saves dogs and cats from the corrupt meat trade in China and Vietnam.

Anyone who runs or owns a business can participate by making an online donation to become a sponsor. In return for a minimum donation of £50, the company’s logo and website link will be displayed on the Bring Your Dog to Work Day website homepage. All the money raised will be split equally between All Dogs Matter and Animals Asia.