Pets at Home joined forces with broadcaster and author Clare Balding to host its first Winter Walkies event at Tatton Park in Cheshire. More than 300 people and almost 250 dogs joined the event to kickstart the company’s new winter ‘Five Minutes More’ campaign.

The UK’s largest pet retail group wants to encourage pet owners to avoid cutting short the daily dog walk – whatever the weather – by adding five minutes to their regular walk to help their dogs stay a healthy weight this winter. 

Clare Balding said: “When you have a dog you really will do anything and everything to make sure they stay healthy and get the exercise they need, no matter the weather. It was amazing to see so many wagging tails joining in the fun at Tatton Park. You can’t underestimate how important the daily dog walk is for your dog but also for you, so I hope dog owners up and down the country will feel inspired to get out there this winter.”

Dr. Leigh-Anne Brown, Practice Owner and Veterinary Surgeon at Vets for Pets, said: “It was great to see so many people at our very first Winter Walkies event. Whilst it was a lot of fun it was also the chance to remind people why walking your dog regularly – come rain or shine – is the simplest, yet most important thing you can do to keep your dog a healthy weight for its breed and size. As the number of overweight dogs in the UK continues to rise, daily exercise this winter has never been so important.”