Amazon employees in the U.S. share a workspace with thousands of dogs. Bring-your-dog-to-work day is every day at corporate offices across the nation—a long-standing tradition that both employees and their four-legged friends enjoy.
“Having dogs in our workplace is an amazing treat. They make employees smile, and we’re proud this is such a uniquely Amazonian tradition," said Lara Hirschfield, manager of Amazon's "Woof Pack," the team that helps make it safe for employees to bring their dogs to work. “Our employees love bringing their dogs to work and meeting their co-workers’ dogs.”
It all started with Rufus
“Amazon has been dog-friendly since Day 1,” said Hirschfield. “Our dogs add to the fun, dynamic energy of our workplace.” In the early days of Amazon.com, a husband and wife team brought their Welsh corgi, Rufus, to work with them, and he became a surprisingly productive part of the team. Employees would use Rufus’s paw to click the computer mouse to launch some of the earliest pages of Amazon.com.

Rufus’s memory is still honored at Amazon: There are photos of him around the Puget Sound campus, and there’s even a building in South Lake Union that was named after the beloved corgi.
On a typical day, thousands of dogs follow in Rufus’s paw steps. Some of the popular pooches at the company include Lucy the Labrador, Sherriff a Golden-Aussie mix, and a Papillion named Martini. If you land on one of our error 404 pages, you’ll be introduced to some of the dogs who come to work with their owners regularly.
Perks for pups
In addition to hanging with their pet parents and getting fussed over by other Amazon employees, there are plenty of fun things for dogs to do on campus. Reception desks in every office building stock dog treats and hand them out to any pooch who asks for one.
On the 17th floor of a building named Doppler, there’s a doggie deck—complete with a fake fire hydrant—where dogs can run around. The neighborhood has no shortage of poop bag stations, designated dog relief areas, and dog-friendly water fountains. In 2019, we opened a community off-leash dog park in the Denny Triangle neighborhood for employees and dogs in the community to enjoy—featuring rocks and other structures for dogs to play on.
Bringing teammates together, one dog at a time
Having pets in the workplace has been found to lower stress and boost morale, but the benefits don't stop there. The dog-friendly policy also contributes to the company’s culture of collaboration. As Hirschfield said, “Dogs in the workplace are an unexpected mechanism for connection. I see employees meeting each other in our lobbies or elevators every day because of their dogs.”