Farmer Copleys bans dogs from Tulip Festival after tragic death of springer spaniel
Farmer Copleys has banned dogs from its Tulip Festival attraction following the death of a dog last weekend.
The family-run farm said it has taken the decision to ban dogs – with the exception of service dogs – after a visitor reported that her springer spaniel, named Bobby, had died just hours after attending.
Farmer Copleys has shared a statement about the incident, which says the team is 'deeply saddened' by the dog’s death.
It stressed that while the exact cause of his death remains unknown, they 'do not wish to take any further risks' and will no longer be permitting dogs at the Tulip Festival.
A statement, Farmer Copleys said: “We are deeply saddened by the recent incident involving a visitor’s dog following a visit to our Tulip Festival, and our thoughts remain with the owner at this difficult time.
"We must stress while the exact cause of this incident remains unknown, many flowers and plants in outdoor environments can pose risks to dogs if ingested, particularly the bulb, and we do not wish to take any further risk.
"The safety and wellbeing of all our visitors and their pets is something we take extremely seriously. As a precautionary measure, we have made the difficult decision to no longer permit dogs at our Tulip Festival for the remainder of the season.
"In addition, this has further reinforced our decision to close the pick your own area for the remainder of the festival. The display fields are still in peak bloom.
“We understand this may be disappointing for some visitors. Any customers who have booked and are now unable to attend due to this change are welcome to contact us regarding a refund at [email protected].
"We are undertaking a full investigation and make a decision on 2027’s season in due course.”
It said assistance dogs will still be permitted and will be required to sign a disclaimer