A flash, a bang, your dog getting scared and running off. The period around the holidays is a tough time for dogs and their owners. They notice this at the Animal Ambulance North and Central Drenthe. “This year we have received fourteen reports of escaped dogs. That is considerably more than a year ago.”
Remarkably, the animal ambulance received virtually no reports of escapes during New Year’s Eve. “Two dogs escaped on New Year’s Day. One in Assen and one near Westervelde. At least one of them was frightened by fireworks,” says Annemay Bock. “But most escapes were between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. This has to do with the fact that fireworks appear to have been set off over a longer period of time.”
Nationally, the Animal Protection Service received sixty calls. According to the Animal Protection spokesperson, that number is ‘fairly stable’. A year earlier that number was about eighty.
Bock and her volunteers do not go after the missing dogs. She leaves that to various search teams in the North. “These are groups of volunteers with a lot of experience that we work closely with. In the event of a missing person, we always advise the owner to call in such a search team. In any case, do not run after a scared dog that has run away with family and friends. , because then he can flee again. You don’t know what an animal like that does. Maybe he runs across the road with all the consequences that entails.”
Even better is to prevent your dog from running off because of fireworks. Bock does have some tips. “Create peace and security in the home and give your dog a place where he can retreat. Put on some music so that he calms down. In addition, make sure that he cannot escape, also through a cat flap or an open door. “
“If you go for a walk with the dog, do not let him run around loose. One bang and he will run off,” Bock continues. “In addition, choose walking moments when it is quiet and use a double leash.”