The Assistance Dog Friendly Municipality campaign has us traveling around the country a lot. Again and again we experience discussions about our assistance dogs in holiday homes, guest houses and hotels. It regularly needs clarification in advance and sometimes it is not clear until we arrive whether we will even get into the breakfast room with our assistance dog.
But this time we report a positive example. Rather by chance we chose the Eldingen watermill for our stay, arrived in the evening and were in for a surprise. Our hosts were not only extremely friendly, but apparently super informed.
After we informed that our assistance dogs were certified and that we would present the documents, they were taken out of the calculation without any request from our side. And of course, the two assistance dogs were allowed to join us for breakfast (which was delicious, by the way).
Upon our arrival, I was first shown where the dogs could enjoy relaxing walks. And I noticed how much tension fell off me when we didn’t have to prove that our four-legged friends were also uncomplicated guests.
The mill could certainly have accommodated simpler guests that evening, because in Hanover there was a fair and far and wide everything was fully booked. We slipped into a fresh cancellation. But there was no doubt at all that we were welcome guests. And so that everyone knows this in the future, Mrs. Stellmacher, the owner of the water mill, stuck the Assistance Dog Welcome sticker on the front door.
We stayed on the ground floor and our room was barrier free. Part-time wheelchair users who only need the wheelchair outside would do very well. The beds were very comfortable and a good night’s sleep even for people struggling with muscular problems. People with visual impairments and also people with walking disabilities should not cross the street in front of the door without an escort. Maybe the municipality can do something about safety here and set up a 30 zone and a fixed speed camera, because that is the only but really dangerous barrier in a place that surprised us a lot. What surprised us? At the bus stop there is a very good guide system for the blind. The only restaurant in town – a small Italian place – can easily accommodate three assistance dogs at once (make reservations in advance) and also has treats for people with food intolerances. Eldingen is embedded in wonderful nature.
We had the big press conference in Celle, 20 km away, and left the next morning after a good breakfast. When we dropped off the keys, our assistance dogs were already in the car. Then an employee of the Eldingen watermill said: “You are the guests with the dear dogs. I wanted to look through the daily newspapers to see if there was already an article from yesterday and put it on the breakfast table. Unfortunately, I did not make it. Have a safe trip home.”
So we departed happily. If we’re in the area again, we’ll be back, even if it means a detour.
Note: On this page we use a so-called affiliate link, which makes it easier for the reader to book a stay. If booked through this link, Assistance Dog Foundation will receive a small portion of the booking amount. This does not result in any additional costs for the reader.