Helping to Make the Management of Canine Osteoarthritis A Walk in the Park

Canine osteoarthritis (OA) affects 1 in 5 dogs, but it remains a fairly mysterious condition despite the pain and discomfort it causes for millions of  much-loved pets in the UK.

To raise awareness of the modern treatment methods that are available for the care of canine OA, H+K Strategies were tasked to develop a communications programme that would help motivate pet owners to actively ask vets about newly available treatment programmes, and prime the receptivity of vets to these requests.

The resulting campaign platform, A Walk in the Park, was developed out of the insight that the newly available long-acting treatments are easy to administer by the owner, whilst helping to manage the dog’s condition by providing effective relief for the pain of OA. Alongside the appropriate advice on exercise and nutrition, and required veterinary visits.

To bring the campaign to life for both professional and consumer audiences, a central online hub was created and launched in 2011 - www.awalkinthepark.co.uk. The Veterinary section provides a professional resource for both vets and veterinary nurses on the subject of modern treatment in canine OA, and expert opinion and studies in this area. For pet owners, the website features bespoke content courtesy of an expert panel (vet/animal behavioural specialist, canine nutritionist and rehabilitation expert), a newly developed Controlled Care Programme and Real Life Tails case studies.

To maximise awareness of OA and communicate the importance of canine care, A Walk in the Park was launched in partnership with K9 magazine’s Canine Arthritis Awareness Month, attended Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Annual Reunion event and achieved editorial coverage in a broad range of pet owner titles. As a result, the campaign message reached a broad audience and the website holds its place at #6 in organic Google search.