Join us at Keep Your Pet's Annual Dog Walk on Sunday 20 July and support a vital York service

The Keep Your Pet annual dog walk returns for 2025 and takes place this Sunday 20 July at York Racecourse. Together with your four-legged friends please come along and join us all in supporting an event where every penny raised directly supports Keep Your Pet, a local York service supporting local older people and managed by the local charity Age UK York.

The events begins from 10.15am with the dog walk itself starting at 11am. With thanks to York Racecourse the event takes place at the racecourse with the entrance near the racecourse buildings off Knavesmire Road. Entrance is £5 per group.

"Freddie is my lifeline" Why your support is so important.

Keep Your Pet - a local York service on which many people and their beloved pets depend

In England 2.9 million (one fifth of) older people rely on their pets for company. Please meet Leonora and her beloved dog Freddie, the vital companionship and how our Keep Your Pet service and the wonderful efforts of our volunteers protects it at times of need...

Age UK York - Our Keep Your Pet Service, BBC Look North Feature 25 April 2024

As Age UK York we recognise the importance of companionship and the challenge of loneliness faced by too many older people here in York and beyond. Our Keep Your Pet service is one of the charity’s local services supporting older residents of York in tackling loneliness and social isolation. Recent Age UK research found that in England 2.9 million (one fifth of) older people rely on their pets for company whilst research released earlier this month in the journal Scientific Reports recognised “that owning a four-pawed friend is linked to slower cognitive decline by potentially preserving specific brain functions as we grow older”. Here in York the Keep Your Pet service is there to help safeguard the vital relationship.

Bev Dowdy, the manager of Keep Your Pet service at Age UK York said,

“Sometimes, people ask us questions like, ‘If you’re from Age UK York, then why are you helping animals?’” Bev reveals. “we’re not so much there to help the animals as to help the older person. The older person is our priority, and their priority is their pet.”

“For a lot of older people who are suffering from loneliness and isolation, their four-legged companion is their one reason to get up in the morning,”

Keep Your Pet, and their team of volunteers, provides older and vulnerable owners with short term help and support to care for their pets during difficult times. Since starting in 2012, the local Keep Your Pet team have supported hundreds of older people and their beloved pets here in York. Although most animals helped by the service are dogs, over the years Keep Your Pet’s volunteers have been known to look after hamsters, budgies, and even a bearded dragon. The programme offers a range of short-term and longer-term support services, catered to whatever the pet owner needs help with.

How to get in touch with our Age UK York Keep Your Pet team?

Please do reach out to find out more and how we can look tom help:

Email: keepyourpet@ageukyork.org.uk

Phone: 01904 933636

www.keepyourpet.co.uk or please click here to our dedicated Keep Your Pet page with more information