Not to start on a negative note, but we’d like to apologise, again, for the delay in confirming our policy for dogs at FyneFest 2019 – we’ve been working as fast as we can with local authorities to develop a new policy so that dogs can join us at our annual festival, and today we’re incredibly pleased to say announce that dogs will once again be welcome at the FyneFest!

The review that started after an incident at FyneFest 2018 asked us to reflect on our rules for dogs at the festival, and if they were to be welcomed back for 2019, what needed to change to ensure all people and dogs can have an enjoyable FyneFest experience. With that in mind, there are a few new rules that dog owners planning to bring their dogs to FyneFest 2019 need to know.

THIS BIT IS IMPORTANT:

Before we get into the new rules for FyneFest 2019, we ask all owners to carefully consider whether bringing their dog to FyneFest is in the best interest of the dog. As much as we try to make our annual festival a friendly, relaxed experience and want to welcome as many canine pals as possible, we know that it might not be a suitable environment for all dogs. FyneFest 2019 will bring together up to 3,000 people of all ages, in an smallish area, where alcohol will be consumed and live music will be played. So please, please think carefully about whether your dog will be comfortable in a busy, loud and potentially charged environment and remember the experience at a dog’s eye-level may be quite different to your own before deciding to bring your dog to FyneFest 2019.

If you are planning to bring your dog to FyneFest 2019, here are the most important things to know about the new policy:

1. Dog Owners’ Charter
The new rules for dogs-on-site at FyneFest are collected in the Dog Owners’ Charter – a set of guidelines that we will ask all dog owners to carefully read and indicate they have understood before registering their dog.

Owners will also be asked to sign a printed physical copy of the Charter on arrival at the festival site so that there is no excuse for not being aware of the new rules for dogs at FyneFest.

 

2.Dog Registration
All dogs attending FyneFest 2019 must be registered in advance – this can be done online, for free, for each dog you’re planning to bring to the festival. On completion of registration, each dog will be issued with a unique I.D number which will be engraved on a metal dog tag for the dog to wear during FyneFest 2019 so that dogs can quickly and easily be identified at any point during the weekend.

3. Leads & Dog-Friendly Areas
All dogs must be kept on-lead at all times at FyneFest 2019, excluding inside the new Dog Park – a separate field away from the main festival site where dogs can be allowed to stretch their legs off-lead and socialise freely.

We will be introducing a new, large, covered dog-friendly space for FyneFest 2019, as dogs will not be allowed in the most crowded areas of the festival site – this includes the Main Marquee and Brewers Bar at any time and the Brewery Tap Courtyard during peak times (1-6pm Saturday 1 June).

There are a number of other items in the Dog Owners’ Charter in relation to dog care and welfare of dogs at the festival – ensuring your dog is not left unattended in a vehicle during good weather, ensuring your bring enough food and other supplies for your dog etc – you can read the full charter via the registration link below.

As excited as we are to welcome dogs back to FyneFest this year, we understand that the terms of the new policy might not be agreeable to everyone, and we apologise for this, but please know, faced with a choice of working with local authorities to find compromises to ensure all people and dogs have an enjoyable festival experience, or banning dogs from FyneFest altogether, we are happy to introduce this set of fair and responsible rules for dogs and owners joining us at FyneFest 2019.

We are genuinely very excited to have dogs back at FyneFest this year, for us, they’ve always been a key part of our unique festival atmosphere and we’re pleased to be able to share the news with you today. Thank you for reading, and, if you’d like to register your dog for FyneFest 2019, please use the link below to read the full Dog Owners’ Charter and give us the info on your dog!

FYNEFEST 2019 DOG REGISTRATION

If you have any questions about dog registration or the new policy, please get in touch via tickets@fyneales.com.

See you in the glen in May!