From a small dachshund to a large Bernese Mountain dog, around seventy dogs stay at the De Lofert dog boarding house in Berlicum during New Year’s Eve. But anyone who still wants to register their pet is out of luck: not only this year, but also for the next two years, the boarding house is already fully booked around New Year’s Eve, despite the announced national fireworks ban.
Owner Harvey Schouten of the dog boarding facility in the outskirts of Berlicum is amazed, so writes Dtv Nieuws: “It’s really bizarre. People book very far in advance and we have now already received all the bookings for next New Year’s Eve. It’s actually strange. We expected that we might be needed less due to the national fireworks ban and that the pets could stay at home. But if we can believe the pet owners, they don’t have much confidence in it yet.”
Dog owner Tessa van der Loo agrees. “I expect them to continue lighting fireworks next year, illegally. So my dog is going to daycare again.”
War zone
Richard Nuij also continues to bring his dog to the boarding house around New Year’s Eve: “We are definitely going to bring him next year, because we don’t believe it will stop. For us it is a war zone to be honest.”
The consequences of the banging are serious for his dog: “He goes completely crazy. He starts jumping and cannot be contained or tamed, he does not want to be walked. He doesn’t want anything at all.”
Son Thymo Nuij has also come to the boarding house, he explains: “A few years ago we first tried taking pills, but if the fireworks even get through, then he just has to go to a quiet place.”
Fear
The owner of De Lofert also sees this: “I think people err on the side of caution and still have the fear that the fireworks will continue to exist. And yes, once a dog is afraid, whether from one bang or ten bangs: that fear remains.”
According to the boarding house owner, you just have to be lucky to have a dog that is not afraid of fireworks. “There are certain training courses for this, but if you are walking down the street and your dog is startled by something, it can remain that way for a long time. You can do a lot in training.”
Tessa van der Loo hopes for a peaceful New Year’s Eve for her Bernese Mountain Dog and also for other dogs: “He has dog friends who are really afraid of it and that is really not nice to see. They panic with every bang. You just don’t want that.”