Napo, UK’s leading pet insurer, will host a “Four Legged Fête” on 12-13 October at Battersea Park Bowling Green from 10am-4pm. 

Offering a "scentwork fairground" for all pet parents and their pups, the open event invites animal lovers to learn how training a dog’s nose can boost its health, happiness, and wellbeing.

Scentwork is a type of training with many proven benefits, from lowering heart rate and blood pressure to release happy hormones in the brain.

The event is open to all pet parents and animal lovers to learn about how scent work should be a vital part of a dog’s life as it is proven to lower their heart rate, decrease blood pressure and feel happier.

Contrary to popular belief, games like “fetch” are unhealthy for dogs as it increases the risk of injury to the dog’s joints because of the sharp turns that they are forced to make at high speeds while chasing and retrieving a ball or stick. These traditional family games damage the dogs’ joints and spine leading to chronically painful conditions.

Rachel Rodgers, Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) at Napo, said: “People want the best for their pets, but they are often unaware of the harm that some games can have on their pets. 

“Games like throwing a ball for a dog to fetch places great strain on a dog’s joints and limbs resulting in injuries and changes the brain chemistry of the dog in a detrimental way. Whereas there are other games that are better for your dog, which also improve their health and wellbeing. 

“That’s why we’re hosting Napo’s Four Legged Fête in Battersea Park on 12-13 October to promote healthy activities for pets and encourage different forms of play that not only enhance the wellbeing of both pets and their parents, but also help reduce risk of injuries,” added Rachel. 

Event Information



• What: Napo’s Four Legged Fête. A day out for pets and families to participate in scent events for pets. Learn more about how scent games are better than ball-chasing games for all-round health for dogs in a day full of scent enriched activities.
• When: 10:00 - 16:00 on 12-13 October 2024.
• Where: Battersea Bowling Park Green & Pavilion.
• Who: All pet parents and families. Meet Napo’s clinical animal behaviourist, Rachel Rodgers and learn more about the best activities for your pets to keep them happy and healthy.