I wish I could separate my experience at Trident Hotel from the situation involving the dogs that the hotel itself presents as the “Castle Dogs,” but honestly, it is very difficult to ignore what we saw. On the hotel grounds, there is a sign that reads: “Castle Dogs – please feel welcome to say hello to Sophie and Emma.” As someone who absolutely loves animals, and as we had been away from our own dogs for two weeks, I was genuinely excited about the possibility of meeting them. In addition, along the path to the castle, there are signs asking guests to inform reception because there are K‑9 dogs on the grounds. We did exactly that and set off on the walk, quite curious to meet them. The walk, which the hotel itself describes as picturesque, goes through an extremely neglected area, with overgrown vegetation and rubbish everywhere. As we approached the castle — which is, indeed, very beautiful from the outside — we came across two mixed‑breed female dogs. Both were extremely gentle and affectionate, but they were visibly in very poor condition: severely underweight, covered in fleas and ticks, and without even having water available. What shocked us most was seeing that one of them, the white one, had an open fracture on her left leg. We were deeply distressed by the condition of these animals. When we returned to the hotel, we reported what we had seen to the person at reception. What was most shocking was the lack of surprise. She told us that she was already aware that one of the dogs had a broken leg and that she would inform her superior about the fleas. It is simply unacceptable for a hotel to know that an animal under its responsibility has a fracture and yet allow it to remain in that condition. Even more concerning is the fact that the hotel “presents” these animals to its guests — going as far as putting up a sign inviting guests to meet them — while they are clearly not receiving the basic care they should be receiving.
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