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A hotel in London has added a special service to its rooms this week. The Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch has added a TV channel especially for dogs across all TVs in its pet-friendly rooms to make sure the four-legged guests can relax, stress-free on bonfire night. The ‘Calm for Canine’ channel includes footage of carefree dogs running across fields and along a beach, gentle waves and sailing boats. It also shows rabbits playing in snow and feeding on carrots – as well as red squirrels steeling walnuts and splashing in water, with calming classical music in the background. The videos are also primarily in blues, yellows and greens, which dogs are most drawn to. It comes after research by Virgin Red - the Group’s loyalty programme - found 87% of dog owners would avoid taking their pooch into the city on firework night. The poll of 1,000 canine owners found two thirds admitted they ‘dread’ bonfire night because their pets become so frightened. A spokesperson from Virgin Hotels, which has also launched a signature pet menu, said: “Fireworks night causes great nervousness for our four-legged friends and their owners, especially in cities like London where firework displays are everywhere. “That’s why we’ve gone the extra mile to ensure our furry friends can come and live a VIP lifestyle with us on any day of the year. Our new canine calming video is designed to have pups wagging their tails one minute and snoozing soundly the next. “That’s not before they’ve indulged in our special pet menu; some scampi fries with a chicken flavoured bark brew dog beer… we don’t just allow pets, we spoil them.” Of those who don’t like 5th November as a dog owner, 73% put it down to the fact their pet gets anxious from the loud bangs. While for three in 10, their pooch barks excessively all evening and 16% even try to escape or run away. During fireworks night, 34% of the canine companions shake or tremble, 29% cling to their owners and 26% like to hide under furniture. While 23% cry during the evening of loud bangs and one in 10 start to act aggressively. According to the stats via OnePoll, half of owners find it hard to calm their dog down during displays. To help relax their canine companion’s reaction to the fireworks, 55% of owners whose dog reacts to fireworks try to give them lots of cuddles and attention, while 53% avoid leaving them alone. Additionally, 41% plan ahead and walk them earlier in the day to avoid having to be outside in the evening.
