A significant number of women who have dogs express fear when walking their pets at night in winter due to concerns about personal safety. Recent findings reveal that 61% of women decrease their dog-walking activities during darker evenings, mainly citing worries about poorly lit streets and the absence of safe walking paths. The research, conducted by YuMOVE, indicates that women’s dogs are getting up to 30 minutes less walking each day, amounting to nearly 3.5 fewer hours of exercise per week.
Safety apprehensions are particularly prevalent in Greater London, where up to 78% of women worry about nighttime walks. Following closely are Belfast (76%), Brighton (70%), Wales (69%), and the South East (64%). To address these concerns, YuMOVE CEO Fiona Hope and WalkSafe organized the inaugural ‘NightWalkies’ event in Bury St Edmunds.
Hope emphasized the importance of NightWalkies in empowering women to walk their dogs safely during the winter evenings. The initiative aims to promote communal walks that enhance women’s sense of security while ensuring their dogs receive adequate exercise. A majority of surveyed women (74%) expressed interest in participating in similar organized events as the nights grow darker, prompting YuMOVE to launch walks nationwide.
The NightWalkies campaign strives to foster community connections among women while prioritizing the well-being of their dogs during the colder months. By facilitating group walks, NightWalkies aims to create a safer environment for women and their canine companions to enjoy exercise and companionship. To enable widespread participation, YuMOVE has developed a downloadable NightWalkies Toolkit in collaboration with WalkSafe, available on the YuMOVE website for easy access.