Ruff day at the office? Kennedys invites special guests to give colleagues and clients a boost at ‘pet and de-stress’ event

We are delighted to have had ‘pawsitive’ feedback after inviting dogs from a local animal charity to our event in Hong Kong.

The ‘Pawsitive Vibes’ pet and de-stress day saw special guests from Sai Kung Stray Friends join us at Taikoo Place.

More than 140 of our colleagues and clients stopped by for a cuddle with the canine companions, raising almost HK$9,000 (£868) for the shelter in the process.

It is well-documented that pets, and dogs in particular, are proven to improve our physical and mental health – reducing stress and anxiety, boosting mood, lowering blood pressure, and combatting feelings of loneliness.

Wilson Tam, the partner driving this initiative at Kennedys in Hong Kong, said: “Kennedys held its annual wellbeing month in October, which included lots of activities and initiatives designed to promote good mental health, and the feedback was so positive that we wanted to extend that and do something for our clients as well.

It was quirky and fun, which definitely captured people’s imaginations, but it also got a serious message across about the importance of looking after ourselves and each other. Our goal was to hold an event that was both meaningful and charitable.

“We’re not aware of anything similar that’s been done by corporates in Hong Kong, and I think the fact that it was so different was what made it such a success – and our four-legged friends, of course!”

Jota Shohtoku, head of Asia Pacific at Allied World, a client who attended the event, added: “It was great to meet new and see old friends from Kennedys. What made it even better was the presence of their furry four-legged friends who seemed very comfortable milling around and providing a calming influence to all the attendees and people just passing by!”

Sai Kung Stray Friends is run by a group of volunteers who rescue stray, abandoned, sick and injured dogs and find them loving homes.

Following our global wellbeing month, we have also recently announced an annual ‘wellbeing day’ for 2,300 staff worldwide to encourage them to look after their mental health.

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