New Year's Eve is the most stressful night of the year for many dogs. Loud firecrackers, bright flashes of light and unfamiliar noises cause anxiety - and many owners feel left alone in this exceptional situation.
These guests spent New Year's Eve in an animal-friendly atmosphere.
One place once again offered reliable security this year: Cologne/Bonn Airport. The setting off of fireworks is not permitted on the premises, public areas remain accessible and dogs are allowed. So on the night of the New Year, the airport once again became a firework-free haven - and this time a particularly sheltered oasis.
In cooperation with ZooRoyal, the fear-free area was lovingly equipped so that people and animals could find peace and quiet. Support was provided:
- Lovingly packed goodie bags for the dogs - with soothing chews, toys and cosy dog blankets
- Giveaways and food for owners with the support of the REWE supermarket at the airport
- designated "walk gates", the anxiety-free bunny and an opportunity to donate to the Notpfote organisation - for a harmonious, relaxed atmosphere
Dog trainer Annette Großmann teaches dog owners relaxation tips.
Graduate biologist and dog trainer Annette Großmann guided the human-dog teams through the evening. With small exercises and easy-to-implement activity ideas, she provided relief - for dogs and humans.
Our Angstfrei bunny was very popular - and raised a great sum of money for Notpfote.
A special symbol of the campaign was the "anxiety-free bunny": a cuddly toy designed to provide calm and security as a companion. Already available in the ZooRoyal online shop in December, it was handed out on New Year's Eve in exchange for voluntary donations. The response was great: together with the support of the airport, over €10,000 was raised for the Notpfote organisation - a strong signal for animal welfare. The official handover will take place at the end of January as part of a larger fundraising campaign.
„It was moving to see how grateful people were to have the airport as a place where their dogs can simply breathe.“ Annette Corsten, Managing Director of ZooRoyal
All dog owners received a certificate of bravery as a memento and recognition.
Around 500 human-dog teams took advantage of the firecracker-free area at the airport. They received a certificate of bravery from ZooRoyal in recognition of their efforts. A lot of feedback makes it clear how valuable a reliable retreat is on New Year's Eve.
A big thank you to all our colleagues who helped think, plan, implement and lend a hand on New Year's Eve - you made animal welfare tangible and visible and showed what ZooRoyal stands for.
