The Hague municipality has been voted the most animal-friendly municipality in the Netherlands. This was announced on Saturday afternoon during the National Congress on Animal Welfare in Den Bosch. An expert jury designated The Hague as the winner for the year 2024. The award has been presented by the Dierenlot foundation since 2018 to municipalities committed to animal welfare.
Alderman Robert Barker (Animal Welfare): ‘It is fantastic that The Hague can call itself the most animal-friendly city in the Netherlands. Animals are fellow inhabitants of our beautiful city and have a right to a good life. As a municipality, we try to support that as best we can. This is only possible thanks to the good work of many organisations and volunteers. They dedicate themselves every day to the welfare of all animals in The Hague. This award is a crown to their important work.’
Jury report
It is the first time that The Hague has won a prize. In its report, the jury, which included veterinarian and TV personality Piet Hellemans, wrote full of praise for the municipality’s efforts: ‘The alderman and his officials have worked extremely hard recently and have now achieved a positive score in almost all areas. Good cooperation with all relevant partners is the key to success for the municipality of The Hague when it comes to animal welfare. For instance, the municipality not only supports the animal ambulance when wild animals are in need, but also the wildlife shelters themselves receive a contribution. There is also a good scheme for people on a small budget who have pets: with the so-called Ooievaarspas, they can get up to 300 euros reimbursed for veterinary costs. In short: well done The Hague!
Promoting animal welfare
In the coalition agreement of 2023, parties agreed to work more structurally on promoting animal welfare. Since this year, the breeding policy has therefore been adjusted, allowing more animals to age happily on city farms. The municipality also uses public campaigns to draw attention to responsible pet ownership and fish suffering when angling.
The welfare of animals in The Hague is now nationally recognised and in the coming period, we will continue to work on an animal-friendly city. For instance, we will work on improving dog walking areas and invest in animal habitats by enlarging and strengthening nature reserves’, said alderman Barker.
Photo: Alderman Robert Barker (Animal Welfare) accepted the award together with staff and volunteers from animal welfare organisations in The Hague.