A day full of emotions and sunshine: That was our 2026 farm festival!

Although the official opening by foundation founder Dr. Usha Peters took place nearly an hour after the start, our guests immersed themselves in the action from the very first minute. A special highlight was the visit of Heath Queen (Heidekönigin) Jaane Köster, who was warmly welcomed by sweet wheelchair dog Mirela with a decorated wagon. Further enthusiasm was sparked by Bea Enkelmann’s presentation and the demonstration by the K9 Pet Search Südheide, who wrapped up with valuable tips on what to do if a dog goes missing.

Circular Walk Across the Grounds: Happiness Begins Behind the Cow!

Speaking of the stars of the day: Our wheelchair dogs and many other farm residents charmed visitors as they strolled past, bringing countless smiles and heartfelt moments. At the end of the circular walk, guests eventually made their way back to the festival meadow to the info and sponsorship stand.

Variety Along the Exhibitor Avenue

Thanks to many fantastic partners, associations, and stalls, our farm grounds were transformed into a colorful, bustling market. A huge thank you goes to all exhibitors who enriched this day:

• Photography & Art: Enno Eilts Tiergrafie (photographer of our new farm calendar), Die Lichtbildmanufaktur (who spontaneously organized a raffle in our favor and donated all proceeds!), photographer Axel Wolf (who tirelessly walked the grounds to capture the most beautiful moments in photos and videos), as well as Tierportraits Bleistiftzeichnungen (pencil drawings of pet portraits). Souvenir photos could also be snapped at the photo point!
• Everything for Dogs: Dein Fellnasen Shop, Das Futterhaus Schneverdingen, Happy Dog, Bellta Leckerlie, Hundetraum Hannover, Mellow Bello, Tanjas Maulkorbberatung (as always with valuable tips), Sandra Hartmann (REICO focusing on dental cleaning), and MKW Laser.
• Handmade Goods, Books & Beautiful Items: Töpferei im Papenhus, Ilona’s Salben Stübchen, Fellow Verlag book stand, Brigitte Lippelt (original knitted cushions), Hunderepublik, and Steinkunst Ellen Meyer.
• Animal Welfare, Nature & Community: Landestierschutzverband Niedersachsen, NABU Heidekreis, Wildtier-Hilfe Lüneburger Heide, Haustierhilfe Heidekreis, Tiersuche Südheide, LilaLebenshoff, as well as the Stadtjugendfeuerwehr Schneverdingen and the Freiwillige Feuerwehr Langeloh.
• Support & Merch: The support association (FÖV) was present with its info and donation stall. Favorite pieces were also eagerly shopped at our own Hun’nenhoff merch stall.
• Pure excitement at the raffle! Anyone wanting to try their luck was in the right place at the raffle. The absolute main prize made many hearts beat faster: An e-bike was waiting for its new owner! No wonder the tickets were sold out in no time.

A heartfelt thank you! Putting together a festival like this in summery temperatures for nearly 800 people is a massive team effort. A very big thank you goes to the company Wolters Cats and Dogs and to the support association for the Stiftung De Hun’nenhoff for their hosting and support.

A very special and enormous thank you goes to our office manager Susi Higgins: She held all the threads firmly in her hands behind the scenes, rocked the entire organization, and made this festival possible in the first place!

Our deepest thanks go to our entire team – the staff as well as the many tireless volunteers. Likewise, we thank all the exhibitors and, of course, you, our wonderful visitors!

In two years, the next big highlight is coming up with the foundation’s 10th anniversary – we are already brainstorming initial ideas and will come up with something special for you for this milestone event!