Bram Bonhof has had a turbulent year. The owner of Dogrun dog shelter in Purmerend lives in tension: should his shelter and the forest in which it is located make way for a road? After several calls and a petition, his cry for help led to a unique ‘dog protest’ in Purmerend town hall. Amid deafening barking from many dogs, their owners showed that as far as they were concerned, Dogrun should stay where it is.
You don’t see a scene like this very often. At least 150 dog owners, many of whom had brought their dog (barking or not) and protest signs, clearly made their voices heard a month and a half ago in city hall. Councilor Pascal Verkroost adopted a petition that was signed by more than 4,200 people. Bram was so impressed by the support that he became emotional.
Text continues below the report from last November.
Dog shelter owner in tears after massive expressions of support: “We can’t do without Bram” – NH
In the series ‘The year of’ we visit or call people who were in the news in the Zaanstreek-Waterland region last year. How do they look back on the news they were involved in and how are they doing now?
On the evening of the protest, Verkroost told NH that there is a ‘very real chance’ that a road will have to be created. Purmerend wants to build more than 5,000 homes on the East Flank. “Those homes must be opened up and this is one of the scenarios. Once there is more clarity about this, we can discuss further.”
It is also a difficult situation for the municipality, the councilor indicated: “We also receive petitions asking that we build homes.”
“I was amazed by it,” Bram looks back on the ‘dog protest’. “There were so many lovely people who wanted to help.” He laughs: “It was as if I had won the election. All those people and all those cameras!”
Letter
This was preceded by a long period of uncertainty for Bram, who has been renting the spot in the forest from the municipality for about twenty years. “I had seen something coming for a long time, but the real blow of course came when I received a letter from the municipality that something was going to change,” he says now. “When I read it I thought: ‘oh dear, now it’s going to happen’. That was intense.”
One of the people who cared about the fate of Bram and the dog shelter was Silvia Reid. She has been bringing her dog to Bram for fifteen years so he can romp there: “It’s a great place. When I drive up, I just have to open my door and he rushes through the gate.”
Text continues under the report.
People of Purmerend try to stop dog shelters from closing – NH
Bram has now visited many political groups, including the Labor Party and GroenLinks a few weeks ago. Real lobbying. “I worry for myself, but also about nature. And there is no alternative place in sight, where should I look? I am not a supermarket that you can place anywhere.” He is referring to the loud noise that all those dogs make, something he doesn’t have to worry about now in this fairly remote place.
And even if another place is found, Bram continues to worry. He expects that this will take some time. “The bad thing is: I’m now 55. If I have to start over again at 59 or 60, that will be difficult. I don’t know if I can handle that if you have to start over again.”
And now?
There will probably be more clarity in the coming months, when a draft version of the plan is released. Residents, entrepreneurs, users and visitors of the eastern flank can still respond to this before the final vision is submitted to the municipal council.
Bram dreads it and looks forward to it at the same time. “In any case, I will be told what the direction will be. The closure now hangs over my head.”
💬 Don’t want to miss anything from Zaanstreek-Waterland?
Seen a language error? Let us know via [email protected]