NightWalkies Launches To Help Women Walk Their Dogs Safely At Night
1 month ago 
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As the clocks go back this weekend, YuMOVE, the UK’s no.1 vet-recommended joint supplement brand,* launches a nationwide initiative to help dogs still get their walkies – even after dark.
Dubbed NightWalkies, this grassroots movement aims to bring women together across the UK to walk their dogs in groups during the darker months. The initiative launches in response to new research** of dog owners across Britain, which reveals that:
- Nearly two thirds of women in the UK walk their dogs less when the clocks go back and the evenings get darker
- 83% of them said that as a result their dogs get up to 30 minutes less walking each day, nearly 3.5 hours less walking every week
- Personal safety was cited as the biggest concern by 61% of women, followed by concerns around poorly lit streets and lack of safe walking routes (a concern for 57% of women) or worries about drunk or anti-social behaviour (54%)
A movement for movement
Last night, on the eve of daylight savings, YuMOVE hosted the first NightWalkies event in Bury St Edmunds. Led by CEO Fiona Hope, the walk was attended by the safety organisation WalkSafe and women from the local area who took to the streets together with their dogs to enjoy a nighttime walkies.
YuMOVE CEO Fiona Hope commented: “When women feel safer, dogs can enjoy more of the exercise that keeps their joints healthy, their tails wagging, and their wellbeing thriving. With NightWalkies, we’d like to help out.”
While NightWalkies is designed to give women greater confidence and safety, YuMOVE also stresses the importance of movement for dogs’ health. Regular exercise supports joint mobility, helps keep them moving and promotes overall canine wellness.
Fiona Hope continues:
“NightWalkies is a simple idea based on a confronting fact – that women dog owners walk their dogs less than men, often because they feel unsafe in the dark. We’d all prefer that wasn’t the case so NightWalkies is a way to connect with other women in your community whilst ensuring your dog is happy and healthy all winter long. So, grab your friends, neighbours or start a local group and join your fellow dog walkers to enjoy walkies all winter long!”
With 74% of women surveyed admitting they would welcome an organised community walk outdoors when the evenings get darker, YuMOVE has initiated walks up and down the country. The top regions where women were concerned for their safety were: Greater London – 78%, London – 72%, Belfast – 76%, Brighton – 70%, Wales – 69% and the South East– 64%.
To make NightWalkies accessible to women everywhere, YuMOVE has created a downloadable NightWalkies Toolkit in partnership with leading safety app WalkSafe. This is available to download from here
Research
*Lintbells Veterinary Tracker by CM Research March 2025.
** All statistics referenced in this article come from a 2025 survey by censuswide of 1000 UK dog owners (self-reported data).
