Cologne/Bonn Airport and ZooRoyal hand over donation to Notpfote
Cologne. What began on New Year's Eve as a joint project of the heart for anxious dogs has now come to a moving conclusion: Cologne/Bonn Airport and ZooRoyal have officially handed over the donations from the “Fear Free Bunnies” and New Year's Eve campaign to the animal protection organization Notpfote in Neuss. The initiative gave dogs and their owners a quiet place to retreat at the turn of the year – combined with a large fundraising campaign for the animal welfare organization Notpfote. The fundraising campaign began in December in the ZooRoyal online shop with the sale of the Angstfrei bunny, a cuddly toy symbolizing a relaxed New Year's Eve.
During the visit, representatives from the airport and ZooRoyal presented the donation amount of over 11,000 euros. The airport made a contribution of 3,000 euros. The total amount goes directly to a project close to the heart of the Notpfote.
The film on YouTube shows the participants' visit to the emergency paw, provides insights into the animal welfare organization's projects and captures the moment the donation was handed over: Go to the film.
Babette Terveer, founder of Notpfote Animal Rescue e. V., makes it clear how much this support makes a difference: “This donation enables very concrete help. With our project “Senior for Seniors” we bring older dogs together with older people and thus create support on both sides. These target groups in particular often fall through the cracks. The fact that Cologne/Bonn Airport and ZooRoyal not only raise awareness here, but also take on real responsibility, makes a noticeable difference.”
“The New Year’s Eve campaign showed how much we can achieve together – for dogs who are afraid of fireworks and for people who often feel powerless that night,” Annette Corsten, managing director of ZooRoyal, also underlined the importance of the initiative.
Cologne/Bonn Airport, which has provided a fireworks-free retreat for dogs for years, also emphasized the importance of the partnership: “It is a real matter close to our hearts at Cologne/Bonn Airport to give dogs and their owners the most relaxing evening possible on New Year's Eve,” said Silke Horemans, Head of Commercial Activities at Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH. “For many years, dogs and their owners from the region have been coming to our terminals on New Year's Eve to experience the calm atmosphere. We are all the more pleased to have further developed this togetherness together with ZooRoyal – and to be able to make a contribution to animal protection with our donation.”
About the New Year's Eve promotion
The joint New Year's Eve campaign by ZooRoyal and Cologne/Bonn Airport offered around 500 people and their dogs a safe, fireworks-free refuge on December 31, 2025. Goodie bags, relaxation offers from a dog trainer and the fundraising initiative around the “Fear Free Bunny” helped make the night much easier for many dogs and their people.
Another fundraising initiative is in the starting blocks
The financial donation is only part of the support. “Our commitment does not end with today’s donation handover: We would like to support Notpfote beyond that and be able to provide concrete help where it is urgently needed,” says Annette Corsten, pleased about the continued collaboration. In addition to the financial donation, the emergency paw also receives a donation truck from ZooRoyal filled with pet food and animal supplies worth 25,000 euros. He sets off directly to Ukraine to support animals in crisis areas.
ZooRoyal also announced that four more donation trucks will be handed over to additional animal welfare organizations in Germany over the course of the year. In doing so, the company is sending a clear signal that goes beyond the New Year's Eve campaign: sustainable support where animals need it most.
About Notpfote Animal Rescue e. v.
Notpfote Animal Rescue e. V., based in Neuss, was founded in 2011 by Babette and Tom Terveer. The non-profit organization is committed to animals in Germany and internationally and helps where government structures are lacking, from wildlife and poultry projects to operations in crisis and war zones. With over 1,200 foster homes, social projects and educational work, Notpfote combines acute animal rescue with sustainable system development. For this commitment, the association was awarded the special prize from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for animal protection in crisis areas in 2024.