The breeding season is in full swing, which means that dogs must be kept on a leash in nature reserves, such as in the Schoorlse Duinen. The sand lizard and the nightjar that nest on the ground, among others, can be endangered by a roaming four-legged friend. Reason for Staatsbosbeheer to hand out spicy fines for offenders: if a negligent dog owner is caught, one hundred and nine euros must be deducted.
Staatsbosbeheer hands out hefty fines for stray dogs in the Schoorlse Duinen – NH Nieuws
Immediately upon entering the Schoorlse Duinen, the visitor is informed about the leash requirement via a large banner and various signs. The main character of this image campaign is a dog soof, who was roped in earlier this year through an election for the nicest dog in North Holland. Together with her owner Yara, she now adorns the various signs that should warn dog owners.
The Soof effect
And it seems that there is a ‘Soof effect’. The dog owners appear to be well behaved. “We come from Brabant and had already studied this area for a while,” says a young lady with a rather enthusiastic heath guard.
“So I know it’s breeding season. And if we let this boy go, I can’t guarantee he won’t come back with something.” An elderly lady with a small dog, just leashed, also appears to be well informed: “You have these beautiful signs everywhere that tell us that he must be kept on a leash.”
“Today I haven’t spotted a loose dog yet, that’s very nice to see”
The owner of a black labrador crawls through the eye of the needle. Just before he is spotted by the ranger, he quickly manages to leash his stray buddy. As a rule, there is no warning, but immediately fined by Staatsbosbeheer. “Otherwise you won’t change people’s behaviour”, forester Theo Brouwer explains the tit-for-tat policy. “But the campaign with dog Soof seems to be working well. Today I haven’t spotted a single dog yet. Very nice to see.”
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