SoLL Event: Bring Your Dog to Work Day

Felicia Lee

21 June 2024 marked the first Bring your Dog to Work Day day at the School of Languages and Linguistics.

Felicia took the opportunity to cuddle and pet some cute doggies that afternoon.

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What’s better than looking forward to the weekends on a Friday at work? Having your pet dog supervising you at work while you approve that timesheet, or process grades for release, of course! Not only are our furry friends a great source of distraction (and a great excuse not to get work done) but also the best way to reduce stress at work with just a few pets on their heads!

Research has shown that interacting with animals helps to decrease cortisol levels (your stress hormones) and lower blood pressure. Some studies have also claimed that animal interaction simply boosts mood and reduces feelings of depression.

In the same breath, Ashley Michailaros, Operations Coordinator at SoLL, initiated the first Bring Your Dog to Work Day this year to bring joy to everyone at work.

“I have a dog, and I love my dog, so I thought, ‘Let’s have a Bring your Dog to Work Day’ as a really good excuse to bring my dog to work. And she loves people so I think she might be able to bring some happiness to them.

Liza Lakuza, Teaching and Research Officer at SoLL, thought that bringing her dog, Gracie, to work helped her feel more relaxed at work: “Because she’s calming and we love having her around. And it’s nice to have dogs. It makes you feel better about life!”

Given the numerous benefits of hanging out with our pets at work, we look forward to the next edition in 2025!

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Special thanks to Xiaoyi Zhang for bringing so many wonderful dog treats for the pooches!