New Veterinary Activity Launches at KidZania to Educate Children on Pet Welfare

  • 85% of children have never heard about the five animal welfare needs1
  • Only 26% of children have been taught how to care for pets at school1
  • New veterinary activity launches this summer aiming to educate kids about pet wellbeing
  • 79% of children visiting Kidzania requested a vet activity in the city

KidZania London today launches an exciting new activity where kids learn how to keep pets happy and healthy, in partnership with leading pet food brand Lily’s Kitchen and the UK’s leading veterinary charity PDSA.

KidZania’s new Pet Wellbeing Centre includes role-play situations where children learn about the five welfare needs, including good pet nutrition. They can examine real-life animal x-rays and even ‘perform surgery’ on a poorly pet!

The Pet Wellbeing Centre has been created to educate the next generation of pet owners about animal welfare in a fun and engaging way. The UK is a nation of pet lovers, but research has revealed that 85%1 of children have never heard about the five animal welfare needs (environment, diet, behaviour, companionship and health) and just 26%1 have been taught how to care for pets at school.

The activity joins the wide range of ‘careers’ at the ‘indoor city run by kids’ designed to both entertain and educate children. It was introduced after a survey of children visiting KidZania revealed 79% wanted to see a veterinary activity within the city. It will be run by a pet wellbeing team who will ensure visitors are aware of the five welfare needs and how they can meet them. 

In the UK 51%2 of households own a pet. There are over 5.2 million cat, dog and rabbit owners (24%)3 who have done no research before buying their pet, so educating families about pet welfare is a key priority. In fact 70% of children think that people should take a test before taking on a pet*1.  

UK pet food brand Lily’s Kitchen will focus on providing information on pet nutrition and how a balanced diet is key to a happy, healthy pet. Obesity remains one of the top concerns for vets regarding dog welfare – 35% stated that, if not tackled it would be among the biggest welfare issues over the next ten years3. Current scientific literature suggests that around 40% of dogs and cats are now overweight or obese in the UK so, the activity will help educate kids from an early age4

PDSA, the UK’s leading veterinary charity will educate visitors about the five animal welfare needs and give children a “real-life pet surgery” experience.

Eddie Kemlsey, CEO KidZania says “We are thrilled to be launching this new veterinary activity for kids. So many of our young visitors have pets they love and we want to educate them on how best to care for them, but in a fun and engaging way.”

Henrietta Morrison, CEO and founder of Lily’s Kitchen says: “Pets are a part of the family, yet when it comes to mealtimes we are woefully unaware of what goes into the food we are feeding them and what constitutes a healthy diet for our pets. What KidZania offers us is the opportunity to teach children and parents about the importance of a good diet for their cats and dogs in the most exciting and interactive environment.”

Nicola Martin, PDSA Head of Pet Health and Welfare says “We know that for many owners they are not ‘just pets’, but treasured companions and a part of the family. However, our PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report shows that many owners don’t fully understand what their pets need for a healthy, happy life. This is leading to serious pet welfare issues such as obesity, loneliness and problem behaviour. Our partnership with Lily's Kitchen and KidZania will allow us to educate the pet owners of tomorrow on the five animal welfare needs and promote the importance of preventive care for pets.”

To find out more about KidZania London visit www.kidzania.co.uk

KidZania London, Westfield London, Ariel Way, W12 7GA 0330 131 3333

Twitter - @KidZaniaLondon         Instagram - @KidZaniaLondon

 

Notes to editors:

  1. Statistics from the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report 2013. This is the most recent report where we surveyed children aged 8-15.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 555 children who live in the UK. 

  1. Statistics from the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report 2017.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4,153 dog, cat and rabbit owners aged 18+ who live in the UK.  Fieldwork was undertaken between 23 February and 6 March 2017. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of the population by pet species (cat, dog or rabbit owners) and the owner’s gender, age and region.

  1. Statistics from the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report 2016

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 4,252 dog, cat and rabbit owners aged 18+ who live in the UK.  Fieldwork was undertaken between 21 and 30 June 2016. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of the population by pet species (cat, dog or rabbit owners) and the owner’s gender, age and region. Extrapolations to population figures are based on the following estimates of pet populations in the UK: 9.4 million dogs, 11.0 million cats, and 1.5 million rabbits.

The view of veterinary professionals were collected through an online survey undertaken between 6 June and 10 July 2016. The total sample size was 701 veterinary professionals.

  1. A review of current scientific literature around obesity prevalence in dogs and cats was reviewed to determine an estimate of the percentage of the dog and cat population estimated to be overweight or obese. References to scientific papers available on request. 

About Lily’s Kitchen

Lily’s Kitchen started life nine years ago and has revolutionised the way that cats and dogs eat since founder, Henrietta Morrison, discovered how her homemade, natural meals cleared up her dog, Lily’s, chronic itchy skin.  The brand has since attracted thousands of fans who rave about its nourishing and natural alternatives to the mass-produced, highly processed products that dominate supermarket shelves and that are often packed with the lowest quality grade ingredients.

Lily’s Kitchen is now the UK’s fastest growing pet food brand, as featured in the Virgin Fast Track 100 for the third year running in November 2016. It became the first-ever pet food company to be awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation, honoured by Her Majesty The Queen in her prestigious annual business awards, the UK’s highest accolade for business success, for its dedication to transforming the quality of the lives of pets through innovative, natural, healthy food. 

Born out of a desire to do the best for the UK’s pets, Lily’s Kitchen products are unique in the world.  This leader in natural and organic pet foods is the first British producer of nutritionally complete, grain-free and meat meal-free recipes and it uses freshly prepared meat and fish along with vibrant fruits and vegetables in its recipes – no unnecessary additives or flavours, rendered meats, cheap fillers or fibrous leftovers. 

In just nine years of trading, Lily’s Kitchen has grown from just Henrietta creating dog food recipes in her home kitchen to a team of 68 (plus numerous cat and dog tasters) with £25 million of retail sales. Despite this, Lily’s Kitchen still very much remains a local company, based in Hampstead, North London where Lily enjoys her walks every day on the Heath. A focus on customer service has resulted in the company being awarded the Gold Trusted Merchant accreditation from independent review site Feefo, and consistently achieves 99%-100% scores across the board.

In 2015, the company became one of the first UK businesses to become a B Corporation, which uses the power of business to help solve social and environmental problems.  Lily’s Kitchen has also been the UK's Number One Ethical Pet Food Company since it launched in 2008 and achieves a 100% score in The Ethical Good Shopping Guide. Where possible the packaging used in its products is recyclable or compostable.

The range is currently available nationwide in Waitrose, Tesco, Pets At Home and Ocado as well as in Wholefoods, Daylesford Organic, vet surgeries, organic health food shops and pet shops.  It is also available online from www.lilyskitchen.co.uk.  

About PDSA

Follow the story at @PDSA_HQ and @PDSAPressOffice

At PDSA we believe that every pet deserves to live a happy and healthy life. As the UK’s leading veterinary charity, we strive to improve pets’ lives – through prevention, education and treatment.

For media enquiries contact the Press Office on 01952 797234, email pr@pdsa.org.uk, or visit www.pdsa.org.uk/press-office.