New campaign urges dog owners to take Five Minutes More on walks

A campaign has been launched urging dog owners not to shorten their pets’ walks to help fight the growing problem of obesity.

The Five Minutes More initiative from Pets at Home has been backed by research estimating that at least a million UK dogs are overweight.

Meanwhile, Vets for Pets data suggested that 30% of all dogs seen in its practices over the past year were too heavy.

Owner survey

The campaign aims to encourage pet owners to add five minutes to every walk they take with their dogs.

A survey of around 2,000 dog owners, carried out on the group’s behalf by Censuswide, found 10% of respondents admitted their dog was overweight – a level that equates to at least one million animals based on known population estimates.

The survey also revealed 29% of respondents admitted shortening walks during the winter months.

Safeguard health

Vets for Pets vet Leigh-Anne Brown said: “It’s the simplest yet most important thing you can do to safeguard your dog’s health, which is why we want to remind people this winter to keep walking, whatever the weather, to help keep their dog active.

“It may seem a small thing, but if every dog owner increased their dog walk by just five minutes, that will have a huge impact on your dog’s overall activity levels over the course of the winter months.”