Dear John,

With the abundance of advice to social distance, shelter-in-place, and self-quarantine, we at the Animal Legal Defense Fund thought it might be nice to focus on some of the positives of this unique situation: being at home with our animals!

We’re not sure how long the current circumstances will remain, but for the moment all of our staff are working from home and cuddling up with our Companion Coworkers.

To highlight this positive point, we declared it “Stay At Home With Your Dog Day!” And shared photos of our “Companion Coworkers” working hard (or more accurately — hardly working!) by our side.

We had so much fun, we want to invite you to join us for a friendly photo competition and share photos of your “Office Mutt-Mates” — as so many of us adjust to working from home. The winning photo will get an Animal Legal Defense Fund Swag Bag with a T-shirt, stickers, pins, and more!

To submit a photo, you can post it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram — and tag the Animal Legal Defense Fund and use the hashtag #StayAtHomeWithYourDogDay. Or, you can upload your photos here. The deadline to compete is 3/27 — but photos are always welcome.

Show off your #DeskDogs and #ConferenceCallCats! Humorous hashtags are appreciated and encouraged!

Not only do animals provide us companionship, but they can also help reduce stress, be good listeners, and even help remind you to stay active — for example, by taking your dog on a walk.

We know not everyone has a furry or feathered family member at home, but animal companionship can help keep spirits up. If you are able, consider fostering an animal from a local animal shelter or rescue group during this period — as many dogs and cats are in need of direct care while local governments and businesses are decreasing office staff. Or you can volunteer to take an older neighbor’s dog on a walk, for a Fido fix.

Social distancing doesn’t have to mean isolation — so let’s take care of each other and have some photo fun!