Keep Your Pet: Yorkshire charity's dog walk with a difference to celebrate 10 years

Black Labrador Wren, Chinese Crested Henry and a Jack Russell called Ollie were part of a gang visiting dog-friendly shops, cafes and pubs in York city centre to celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Keep Your Pet”.

Back in November 2012, a small group met in Ann Petherick’s home in Scarcroft Hill, in York, to set up an organisation to provide short-term care for the pets of older or vulnerable people at times of illness.

There was no such service in York at that time – and very little such provision across the country.

Ann got the support of the then chief officer of Age UK York and the then chief executive of York District RSPCA, who were at the meeting.

Ten years on – and many fostered dogs, cats and birds later – including a cockatoo – she would love to see Keep Your Pet rolled out in other areas.

Ann says pets are extremely important, particularly to older, isolated people and the stress they feel when they can’t look after them can have consequences for their health – to the extent they may even turn down hospital treatment.

Keep Your Pet “enables the owner to focus on their recovery so that they can be reunited with their beloved pet”.

Ann said: “We never realised but discovered from staff at the hospital that they will ring someone for an operation and the person will say they can’t come because of the dog. It’ll be an operation they need, and it gets worse, and costs the NHS more.

"We’ve fostered quite a few dogs – many of them have gone back, which is the whole idea.

"The animals are so important to people’s recovery.”

Keep Your Pet is now one of the services Age UK York offers. It recruits and trains volunteers who walk dogs, feed cats, and take pets to the vet’s.

People are encouraged to register their pets – giving them the reassurance the service will be there when they need it. Currently KYP has more than160 registered owners and around 100 volunteers, with more in training.

There’s been spin-offs – including working with the University of York to provide “de-stressing” sessions for students at exam time or when they are missing pets from home. “Dog cafes” run with the council gives a chance for people who can’t have their own pet to join a walk in the park.

KYP fundraises to cover the costs of an administrator, transport and printing. They’ve held summer fairs in Rowntree Park, afternoon tea in a volunteer’s delightful garden and hold an annual dog walk on York Knavesmire – which attracted 1,000 people this year. The next event will be a concert at Strensall on December 10. Ann said: “KYP has been punching above its weight for the last ten years; I hope it will continue to do so.”