A PET service in York is asking people to join them on a 'virtual dog walk'.

York-based Keep Your Pet’(KYP) is continuing to provide its dog walking service and so far, during the current crisisthey have helped more than 60 people.

However, having had to cancel its major fund-raising event of the year, the annual dog walk on the Knavesmire and other events, KYP is instead asking people to join in a ‘virtual dog walk’.

KYP clients, supporters & all other dog owners are invited to submit photographs of their dogs, with or without their owners, along with a minimum donation of £5 per entry.

KYP, which is administered by Age UK York, will create a ‘dog walk gallery’ on its website, and photos will be submitted to The Press.

As with the traditional dog walk other activities are also on offer:

• where entrants express an interest and supply an appropriate photo they can take part in the ‘owner and dog look-a-like’ competition

• where a caption to the photo has been supplied there is entry into the caption competition

• there is the opportunity to take part in a ‘guess the name of a puppy’ competition.

Winning entrants will receive a virtual and (in time) a real rosette.

Whilst receiving a majority of its funds from Age UK York, Keep Your Pet cannot function at the current level without donations and fundraising events. Expenditure includes publicity and administration costs.

Chair of KYP, Keith Martin said: “We would love to see you at our virtual dog walk and we also welcome support for Keep Your Pet on a regular basis - details can be downloaded from the website here. We are still hoping that the actual dog walk can be rearranged for September 2020.”

Entries should be sent between May 3 and 10 to kypfundraising@gmail.com. One photo of a dog with a suitable caption and/or one photo of owner and dog to enter the lookalike competition. Photos need to be in jpg format. In addition entrants can guess the name of the female puppy displayed on the Keep Your Pet website.

The details and conditions of the competition rules can be found at http://www.keepyourpet.co.uk Entries will need to be accompanied by a minimum £5 donation. Donations can be made through PayPal on the website www.keepyourpet.co.uk or by cheque payable to Keep Your Pet and sent to: KYP Treasurer, 8 Cromwell Road, Bishophill, York, YO1 6DU. Name and address to be included so that receipt can be acknowledged.

The names of entrants need to be stated in the submission email. It will be assumed that there is approval for the picture to be posted online & published in the media unless otherwise stated. An address for the postage of rosettes should be included in the event of the entrant achieving one of the top three places.