Amazon, athenahealth, and Trupanion lead the nation for best dog-friendly companies as companies discover improved attitudes, morals, and culture with added pet benefits
SEATTLE, WA– September 28th, 2021 – Rover.com® (NASDAQ: ROVR), the world’s largest online marketplace for loving animal care, today released its Best Dog-Friendly Companies 2021 report, which ranks the best workplaces in the U.S. based on their dog-friendly culture. In a year that has challenged the work environment like never before, all of the companies featured in the report have maintained, and in many cases increased, their commitment to providing dog-friendly benefits to their employees.
The award for the dog-friendly company went to Amazon again this year, with several newcomers making the top 10, including athenahealth, Kinship, PetDesk and SelfMade. As a dog-centric company that knows pets are a family, Rover is in a unique position to understand the many benefits of supporting pet parents with a range of dog-friendly benefits. It’s a uniquely important time to offer pet-oriented perks. Between the unprecedented surge in pet adoption during the pandemic67% of dog owners said they welcomed a dog into their family in the past year1-and the simultaneous rise in employment rates in the US, the labor market is increasingly dominated by pet parents, whose well-being influences their happiness at home and at work.
“Amazon has been dog-friendly since day 1,” said Jennifer Skipper, Amazon’s Woof Pack manager. “Our dogs are a special part of the special Amazon culture and a mechanism of connection. We’ve found that dogs in the office actually add to our collaborative corporate culture. We pride ourselves on this Amazon tradition and continue to welcome more dogs into our pack each year. “
New data in the 2021 report shows the majority (64%) of pet owners believe that a company with a dog-friendly culture and perks cares more about its employees. In fact, 77% of Americans are even more interested in working for a dog-friendly company after spending so much time with their beloved dogs during the pandemic. It’s also no surprise, as nearly 80% of pet parents claim that working with their dog will improve their mental health and wellbeing, and more than half would even be willing to compromise their salary in order to get dog-friendly benefits, like a pet insurance grant, free dog walk, or pet loss leave.
In a booming job market, employers who offer dog-friendly services are getting a return on their investments. Of the US companies featured in this year’s report, 95% believe that hiring and recruiting new employees has had a positive impact on hiring and recruiting because they are a pet-friendly company. The majority (93%) of companies report that corporate morale has improved since introducing dog-friendly perks, with more interaction and engagement from employees, and better communication among team members.
As COVID-19 continues to make it difficult to return to work, many companies have a dog-friendly culture with: dog cameos on video calls (87%), virtual introductions to new dogs (74%), and sharing dog material with colleagues (94%). A common denominator for these companies: 100% believe that their employees consider their dogs family members.
“There is a growing feeling in American society that dogs are indeed part of our core families – they’re not just pets. The pandemic has only accelerated and exacerbated these feelings, ”said Rover’s head of people and culture, Jovana Teodorovic. “It’s very clear that pet-friendly benefits aren’t just valued by employees, but actually create a more productive workforce and a more competitive hiring process. While some companies may switch to remote working, many others will switch back to the office or to a hybrid workplace plan. We expect more than ever that they will considerwhere and how pets fit into the equation. “
This year’s top 20 best dog-friendly companies include:
- Amazon (Seattle, WA)
- athenahealth, LLC (Watertown, MA)
- Trupanion (Seattle, WA)
- Relatives (New York, NY)
- PetDesk (San Diego, CA)
- Stride Health (San Francisco, CA)
- Petco (San Diego, California)
- Purina (St. Louis, MO)
- SelfMade (New York, NY)
- SS&C Advent (San Francisco, CA)
- WeWork (New York, NY)
- VMware, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA)
- PeopleConnect People Search (San Diego, CA)
- PetSmart (Phoenix, AZ)
- Procore Technologies (Carpinteria, CA)
- Zogics (Lenox, MA)
- Tripadvisor (Needham, MA)
- Pasta & Company (Broomfield, CO)
- FabFitFun (Los Angeles, CA)
- The Farm Dog (New York, NY)
To view the full report on the best dog friendly companies, pleaseEveryoneT here. A similar report was made in the United Kingdomand Canada.
methodology
Rover’s Best Dog-Friendly Companies 2021 were recognized based on Rover’s proprietary ranking, which surveyed nearly 90 dog-friendly companies in the United States. as well as a financial grant for animal health insurance, pet adoption, and pet care. Secondary data was collected through a Rover survey of 1,000 US-based pet parents and / or employees who work for a dog-friendly company via Pollfish in August 2021.
1Pollfish Rover poll of 1,000 U.S.-based dog parents in June 2021.
About Rover:
Rover® was founded in 2011 and is based in Seattle. It is the world’s largest network of five-star pet sitters and dog walkers. Rover connects dog and cat owners with pet care whenever they need it. Millions of services have been booked on Rover, including pet care, dog trips, home boarding, visiting appointments, dog day care and grooming in select markets.
Rover makes it easier for people to have pet love in their life with the Rover warranty, 24/7 support, veterinarian advice and GPS walk mapping. And by sharing expertise on TheDogPeople.com, a trusted resource for millions of dog and cat parents around the world, Rover offers tips and articles that inspire, inform, and bond people and their pets. To learn more about Rover, please visit http://www.rover.com.
###
Contact:
Kristin Sandberg
pr@rover.com
360-510-6365