Faithful pets provide comfort to home workers during virus pandemic

Derbyshire housebuilder Harron Homes called on people to share images of their pets as they adapt to working from, studying from or generally being more at home during the health crisis.

A competition, run on the company’s social media channels, supported the official awareness day by HOWND, the ethical canine products firm, and resulted in Harron donating £100 to the charity All Dogs Matter.

The winners of the competition, who have secured gift vouchers for HOWND were Milo, Elvis and Serge, and The British Gift Company’s mascot, Toby.

Some of the benefits that Harron staff have noticed thanks to pets at home include:

Increased happiness – Nothing brightens the day like that tail wagging at the sight of you.

Reduced stress – The perfect cure for a tough day, petting dogs is proven to have a calming effect.

Reduced loneliness – They may not be able to hold a conversation, but at a time when socialisation is limited all company makes a difference.

Peace of mind – No longer worrying about what your furry friend is getting up to during the day can be a weight off your mind.

More exercise – There’s no better incentive to getting those steps in than puppy eyes waiting for a lunchtime stroll.

Higher productivity – Happy employees are more productive, especially if their day isn’t disrupted by the need to rush home and check up on their pet.

Better care – It’s not just owners who benefit; your pup won’t spend the day pining for you and you’re more likely to notice any illness or behavioural changes sooner.

Sales manager Helen Robinson, whose pet Schichon, Missy, has been at her side throughout lockdown said: "I haven’t found Missy to be distracting, she’s happy to sit peacefully by my desk in my study. She has been a comfort to all of us, including my colleagues as she comes on our video conferencing meetings to say ‘Hello’ to the team and they all love her!”