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RegulationWorking animals

Loi contre la maltraitance animale – les impacts pour les équidés

By December 9th, 2021December 22nd, 2021No Comments

Document type : Article published by the IFCE

Author: Mathilde Dhollande

Preview: In France, a law was passed on 30 November 2021 to combat animal abuse and strengthen the link between animals and humans. Equidae are obviously affected by some parts of the Act so we provide a brief overview of the key elements and future changes that will need to be made in the equine sector:
A certificate of commitment and knowledge of the specific needs of the species
According to Article 1, a declaration to certify knowledge of the species-related needs of equidae, which takes the form of a "certificate of commitment and of knowledge of the particular needs of the individual species", will be required in cases where the keeping of animals is not carried out by professionals.
To date, there is no clear detail on how the certificate will operate: a decree will specify the procedures to be followed for the declaration. It creates a new requirement for existing owners of equidae when the latter go to a new home, as they must "ensure that the new keeper has declared his or her knowledge" in accordance with the above provisions.
Obligation to register neurectomies
Article 21 sets out a duty to record a neurectomy in the equine identification document and in the SIRE database. This obligation will be the responsibility of the veterinarian.
Here again, regulations are to specify how the article is to be applied, and these will be examined with the DGAl and the veterinary profession.
A new procedure for compulsory sales
In order to protect keepers in the event that an equine animal is entrusted to a third party under a livery or loan for use contract and the owner does not retrieve the animal within three months of receiving a formal notice to retrieve the animal, for non-payment, unsuitability, or the total inability of the animal to perform the activities for which it was bred, the yard proprietor may sell the said animal under certain conditions.
Improved fight against doping
Article 22 on anti-doping controls specifies article L.232-18-4 of the Sport's Code relating to the locations where tests are carried out. From now on, this concerns the locations where the events and training sessions leading up to them are held, as well as the premises where the animals taking part in these events or training sessions are usually kept. This clarification allows for longitudinal doping checks for animals in the competition cycle, as already performed in racing.
An end to live carousel rides
Article 24 prohibits "attractions that allow, for the entertainment of the public, the riding of any type of equine animal, via a rotating fixed attachment device that deprives the animal of its freedom of movement", i.e. pony carousel rides.
These various legal provisions are to be specified subsequently in the form of regulations that will describe how each article is to be applied.

IFCE
From the IFCE website