Dogpile.com Offers Helpful Dog Widget and Tips for Businesses to Be More Pet Friendly
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On Take Your Dog To Work Day, Businesses Go to the Dogs
BELLEVUE, Wash.--(Business Wire)--
InfoSpace, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: INSP) Dogpile.com, the search site that
combines the top results from the leading search engines, will
celebrate Pet Sitters International's Take Your Dog To Work Day(R) on
Friday, June 20, 2008, by recognizing dog-friendly companies and
offering tips for businesses on how to be dog-friendly. Dogpile will
also launch the new 'Arfie -- Your Desktop Pal' widget which will
allow employees to have a useful, virtual dog in the office every day.
Pet Sitters International launched Take Your Dog To Work Day in
1999 to celebrate the great companions dogs make and the benefits of
dogs in the workplace, including reduced stress among employees and
increased communication between colleagues. The following companies
are listed among the most pet-friendly in the country on
www.takeyourdog.com:
-- Google
-- Amazon
-- Banfield the Pet Hospital
-- Petsmart
-- AutoDesk
-- ValueOptions
-- The Nature Conservancy
-- Advent Software
-- Be Your Best
According to pet expert Arden Moore, having dogs in the office is
not always easy, but businesses that follow some simple guidelines can
become more pet-friendly. "Studies show that dogs improve company
morale and productivity. Absenteeism tends to be less when people can
bring their dogs to work," said Moore. "Allowing your workplace to go
to the dogs can be good for your bottom line -- if proper policies are
in place." Moore recommends the following:
-- Establish a doggy business plan. Clearly identify and
post the doggy do's and don'ts for your employees. For
example, adopt a "three strikes and you're out" policy
aimed at dogs who don't behave.
-- Provide a clean environment. Limit dogs' access to
certain common areas of your office to reduce allergic
reactions and prevent dogs from counter surfing and
stealing someone's lunch or raiding the garbage cans.
-- Embrace true dogma. Invite an animal behaviorist,
veterinarian or dog trainer to give a presentation on
canine manners, behavior and health issues to educate
all your employees.
However, there are situations where dogs in the office just aren't
practical. That's when the 'Arfie -- Your Desktop Pal' widget comes in
handy. By downloading the widget, employees can have the Dogpile
mascot Arfie on their computer desktop. Arfie can play fetch, walk
around the desktop, or go into his doghouse for a nap. Most
importantly, the widget includes an internet search bar, allowing
users to perform efficient Internet searches via Dogpile.com.
"Even if your furry friend can't come to the office, most people
will enjoy having Arfie, a fun and practical friend, on their desk,"
said Mark Whidby, director, search product management of InfoSpace,
Inc. "Arfie can fetch his ball for you, or fetch useful information
right from his doghouse on a user's desktop."
For more tips from Arden Moore or to bring Arfie to your desktop,
visit www.dogpile.com.
About InfoSpace, Inc.
InfoSpace, Inc., a leading developer of metasearch products, is
focused on bringing the best of the Web to Internet users. InfoSpace's
proprietary metasearch technology combines the top results
from several of the largest online search engines, providing fast and
comprehensive search results on InfoSpace sites including Dogpile
(www.dogpile.com) and WebFetch (www.webfetch.com). For the second
consecutive year, JD Power and Associates ranked Dogpile highest in
customer satisfaction among search engines. InfoSpace's metasearch
technology is also available on more than 100 partner sites, including
content, community and connectivity sites. More information can be
found at www.infospaceinc.com.
About Dogpile.com
For millions of people everyday, Dogpile goes beyond search as
usual by providing a fun and engaging place to discover all the web
has to offer. Dogpile is a business of InfoSpace, Inc. (NASDAQ:INSP).
For information about InfoSpace, please visit:
http://www.infospaceinc.com.
About Arden Moore
Arden Moore is an animal behavior consultant and author of 19
books on cats and dogs. She is editor of Catnip, editor of Fido
Friendly and contributor to Healthy Pets and Veterinary Practice News.
She also hosts the popular "Oh Behave!" show each week on Pet Life
Radio. Moore and her work have received numerous recognitions,
including being named as 2007 Cat Writer of the Year at the Cat
Writers Association and her books, The Cat Behavior Answer Book and
The Dog Behavior Answer Book, received top training/behavior honors by
the Cat Writers Association and the Dog Writers Association of
America. She resides in Oceanside, Calif. with her two dogs and two
cats. To learn more about Moore and her books, visit
www.ardenmoore.com.
About Pet Sitters International
Established in 1994, Pet Sitters International (PSI) is the
world's largest educational association for professional pet sitters
and the most respected authority on pet sitting in the world. PSI
represents more than 8,000 independent professional pet-sitting
businesses in the United States, Canada and abroad. Take Your Dog To
Work Day, first celebrated in 1999, was created to celebrate the great
companions dogs make and encourage their adoptions. For more
information, visit www.takeyourdog.com or www.petsit.com, home of the
Official Pet Sitter Locator(TM).
InfoSpace
Stacy Ybarra, 425-709-8127
stacy.ybarra@infospace.com
or
For InfoSpace
Ellen Snook, 415-438-9821
ellensnook@peppercom.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
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