Almost half of Leeds homeworkers want dogs in the office when they return to work, survey finds

As the pandemic has forced many people in the city to work from home, video calling platform PowWowNow researched people's attitudes to having dogs in the workplace.

The survey found 54 per cent of remote workers in Leeds had been interrupted on a work video call by a dog and 39 per cent said this had increased their happiness levels while on shift.

As dog sales soar and workers start to adjust to the thought of returning to work, 47 per cent of Leeds workers surveyed approved having dogs in the office.

A further 48 per cent said they were more likely to apply for a job if a company allowed dogs in the workplace.

According to the research, people working in the energy and utilities sector were the most likely to favour dogs in the office (66 per cent), followed by those in environment and agriculture (65 per cent) and law enforcement and security (64 per cent).

Meanwhile, those who work in legal professions (55 per cent) are most against dogs in the office.

Dogs in the UK have put on an average of 3.3kg each since the start of the pandemic

It comes as Britain’s dogs have put on an average of 3.3kg EACH – almost half a stone – since the pandemic began.

With an estimated 10.1 million pet dog owners in the UK, this adds up to a whopping 33.3 million kilograms of extra weight, equivalent to 100 Boeing 747 jumbo jets, across the nation.

The survey of 1,500 dog owners found 33 per cent believe their pets’ lockdown lard is due to them dipping into the treat tin more often while home working.