7 companies that give staff paid time off when they get a puppy

• Welcoming a new puppy into your home isn't always easy.
• It can be time consuming getting your new furry friend to settle in.
• Luckily, a few companies offer "pawternity leave" so you can spend some time together.
• We've rounded them up in honour of National Puppy Day.

Anyone who has experienced getting a puppy knows it can be hard work. Owners often refer to their pets as "fur babies," which makes a lot of sense considering how much attention puppies require when you first get them.

Puppies need time to settle into their new home and bond with their owners. They've probably just been taken from their mothers and introduced to a brand new environment, so there's likely to be a lot of crying. And that's before you can even think about house-training.

Read more:Your own anxiety could be making your cat stressed out

As it turns out, some companies sympathize with this transition and offer what's known as "pawternity leave."In fact, research from Petplan found that 5% of owners have been offered paid leave from their job to adjust to their pet owning duties.

These are some of the companies which give you a few days off to bond with your new best friend.

SEE ALSO: Your dog really is trying to communicate with you — here's what their different gestures mean

Mars Petcare

Mars Petcare was one of the first companies to offer pawternity leave. The company offers its employees 10 hours of paid leave when they get a new pet, and they can bring them into the office after that.

Mparticle

The data platform provider Mparticle offers two weeks of paid leave if an employee adopts a rescue dog. According to The Times, the recruiter for the company Laurel Peppino said it's to provide time for training and walks.

"We offer maternity and paternity leave and a pet is just another member of the family," she said. "We don't discriminate just because they aren't human."

BitSol Solutions

A tech company based in Manchester called BitSol Solutions offers its employees a full week of paid leave if they get a new pet. According to the Metro, company owner Greg Buchanan said: "Pets are like babies nowadays, so why shouldn't staff have some time off when they arrive?"