Pets at Home has hit the milestone of over one million children educated on the fundamentals of responsible pet ownership, as part of its Pet Pals programme.

The achievement follows “another successful year” of the company’s programme, with 132,303 children attending its workshops across six campaigns between summer 2025 and summer 2026. 

During that period, more than 184,000 places were booked across 51,801 sessions held in Pets at Home stores nationwide.

This summer, 44,403 children have attended workshops across 396 stores. Event days are still set to run and thousands of bookings are yet to be recorded, meaning its final attendance figure is expected to increase further. 

Pet Pals provides free educational workshops for children aged four to ten, with interactive games, activities and hands-on experiences. 

Topics include nutrition, exercise, grooming, play, friendship and creating suitable environments for pets. 

More households booked workshops during summer 2026 than in summer 2025, while attendance rates also improved “significantly”.

The proportion of registered children attending sessions increased from 69 per cent in summer 2025 to 75 per cent in summer 2026.

Since its launch, Pet Pals has become one of the UK’s largest pet welfare education initiatives, with workshops delivered by trained Pets at Home staff in its stores across the country.

The programme forms part of the retailer’s wider commitment to responsible pet ownership.

Pets at Home veterinary director Dr Samantha Butler-Davies MRCVS said: “Reaching one million children educated through Pet Pals is an incredible milestone and one that everyone involved in the programme is enormously proud of.

“For many children, Pet Pals provides their first opportunity to learn what it means to care responsibly for an animal. 

“By making pet welfare education fun, interactive and accessible, we’re helping to inspire the next generation of pet owners and giving families the knowledge they need to help pets live happy, healthy lives.”

She continued: “The continued growth of the programme, and the increasing number of children attending our workshops, highlights the importance of educating young people about responsible pet care. 

“We’re delighted that so many families continue to engage with Pet Pals, helping us extend our positive impact on pet welfare in communities across the UK.”

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