麻豆约拍

Last year a court in Italy ruled a woman should be granted paid leave from work to look after a pet dog that was ill and it has since emerged that an increasing number of employees are taking time off to care for animals.

In New York technology companies are allowing workers to stay at home to care for dogs, as well as babies.

So called "pawternity" for owners of pets is catching on and one British IT company, BitSol in Manchester is so proud of its dog friendly policy that hounds are allowed in the office, as the boss Greg Buchanan explains.

(A pampered dog. Hector Mata/AFP/Getty Images.)