WASHINGTON – On Friday, your workplace could be a bit more furry and a lot more fun.[related_gallery align=”right”] It’s Take Your Dog to Work Day, which started in the UK in 1996 and the U.S. in 1999. It’s the brainchild of Pet Sitters International, an organization that registers and approves petsitters worldwide. The group says the point is to celebrate what great companions dogs are and to encourage adoption. Some companies organize TYDTWD fundraisers in which workers who want to bring their dogs contribute $25 toward a local pet shelter. The group cites a poll by the American Pet Products Association in which 17 percent of respondents say their company permits pets at work. They also cite a Virginia Commonwealth University study that saying that bringing your dog to work can lower stress.

Heute ist internationaler #TakeYourDog To Work Day! Dürfen eure Hunde auch mit ins Büro? pic.twitter.com/aTYS95sAGD

— HUNDEPROFIL (@HUNDEPROFIL) June 26, 2015

Are you taking your dog to work? Tweet us a picture with #takeyourdog and #WTOP.