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Why

Getting outside together, for people and dogs

A walk with a dog is a small thing. Yet it touches on big ones: loneliness, moving too little, and dogs who could use more attention. That is why Rondje Mee exists.

In figures

Every figure comes with its source and year, so you can check it yourself.

People

Getting outside

Dogs

Being outside, moving, and a dog who is happy to see you

Research shows that time in nature and regular exercise are linked to better health and feeling better. A little time with a dog is also linked, in research, to less stress in the moment.

A walk does not solve everything. It is a nice, regular moment in your week: getting outside, a chat with a neighbour, and a dog who is happy you came. That is what Rondje Mee is for.

Rondje Mee is not a care service and not a treatment. Not feeling okay? Talk about it, you do not have to do this alone.

Thinking about suicide? You can talk anonymously, day and night, with: 113 Zelfmoordpreventie (0800-0113)

All help lines →

Dogs waiting for a walk

Some people can no longer walk their dog as often as they would like, because they are getting older, are ill or find walking hard. Their dog misses the exercise, and they sometimes miss a chat.

In shelters, dogs wait for a new home. A walk outside the shelter is a welcome change for them. With shelter dogs, you always walk in guided group walks on Rondje Mee.

Rondje Mee brings these dogs together with people who love being outside but cannot have a dog of their own. Safely, step by step, and for free.

How we handle safety →

What you can do

  • Go for a walk

    Pick a dog nearby, or join a shelter’s group walk.

    See dogs →

  • Add a dog

    Can you no longer walk far, or do you know someone who could use a hand? Family can add a dog too.

    Add a dog →

  • Tip off a shelter

    Know a shelter where dogs could use more walks? Let us know.

    Suggest a shelter →

  • Make it possible

    Rondje Mee is free and will stay free. A small contribution helps cover the costs.

    How you can help →

Sources

Every figure on this page, with its source. Checked on October 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake or a newer figure? Let us know.

  1. 23% of young adults (16–25) in the Netherlands feel strongly lonely.GGD GHOR, Gezondheidsmonitor Jongvolwassenen (2024) · ggdghor.nl
  2. 9% of adults in the Netherlands (18–75) had a depression in the past 12 months.Trimbos-instituut, NEMESIS-3 (2022) · cijfers.trimbos.nl
  3. 9.8% of people aged 15 and over in the Netherlands felt strongly lonely. Young people more often miss a close bond.CBS (2024) · cbs.nl
  4. 51% of people aged 75 and over in the Netherlands feel lonely.GGD’en, CBS en RIVM, Gezondheidsmonitor (VZinfo) (2024) · vzinfo.nl
  5. 14 trials with random allocation showed that time with a dog went with less self-reported stress and anxiety in students.Sim e.a., BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies (2025) · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. 1 in 2 pet owners got to know people in their neighbourhood through their pet, in research in Australia and the US.Wood e.a., PLOS ONE (2015) · journals.plos.org
  7. 46% of adults in the Netherlands move enough to meet the national activity guidelines. So more than half do not.RIVM / CBS, Leefstijlmonitor (VZinfo) (2025) · vzinfo.nl
  8. 31% of adults worldwide are less active than WHO recommends: at least 150 minutes a week.WHO, factsheet Physical activity (2022) · who.int
  9. 120 min a week in nature was linked, in English research, to better self-reported health and wellbeing.White e.a., Scientific Reports (2019) · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  10. 25% lower chance of depression was linked, in research, to activity like 2.5 hours of brisk walking a week. A link, not proof of cause.Pearce e.a., JAMA Psychiatry (2022) · jamanetwork.com
  11. 4× the odds of moving enough: dog owners compared with people without a dog, in a UK study.Westgarth e.a., Scientific Reports (2019) · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  12. 169,268 dogs entered shelters in Spain in 2025. Fewer than half found a new home that year.Fundación Affinity, “Él nunca lo haría” (2025) · fundacion-affinity.org
  13. 1.8M dogs live in the Netherlands. More than 1 in 6 households has a dog.Ipsos I&O voor Dibevo en NVG (2026) · ipsos-publiek.nl
  14. 700+ dogs a year end up in Dierenbescherming shelters in the Netherlands because they can no longer live with their owner.Dierenbescherming (2025) · dierenbescherming.nl
  15. 7,156 dogs were taken in by shelters in Flanders in 2024.Vlaamse overheid, Dierenwelzijn (2024) · assets.vlaanderen.be
  16. 29% of dogs surrendered to a Danish shelter came in because of their owner’s health, for example illness or old age.Jensen, Sandøe en Nielsen, Animals (2020) · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  17. 5× as likely to be adopted: shelter dogs that went on brief outings, in research across 51 US shelters.Gunter e.a., Animals (2023) · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov