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Assemblée nationale : Réponse écrite à la question n°43406 : Protection des animaux – Politique de stérilisation à la Réunion

By April 5th 2022April 18th, 2022No Comments

Document type : Written answer published in the Journal officiel de la République française

Authors: Question: Karine Lebon (Gauche démocrate et républicaine - Réunion). Answer: French Ministry of Agriculture and Food

Question: Mme Karine Lebon draws the attention of the Minister for Ecological Transition to the inadequacy of sterilisation and protection policies for stray animals in France. The latest IFOP poll on the issue is quite clear. 7 out of 10 French people are in favour of banning the sale of animals in pet shops or on the internet. The mistreatment linked to these modes of animal handling is uother small companion animalsceptable. The breeding of animals, both for the safety of the animal and for the safety of humans, should be the sole preserve of recognised professionals in the field. The bill to combat animal abuse and strengthen the bond between animals and humans was intended to be ambitious and democratic in this respect. However, at the end of the deliberations of the joint committee, it was decided that the sale of stray or abandoned dogs and cats in pet shops would still be authorised. This goes against all logic, as these are the animals in greatest need of professional handling, not only because of their distressing condition, but also because of the possible lack of education inherent to their circumstances. Second, online sales can continue to flourish. Sales on social networks and the resultant clandestine breeding of animals are not seriously addressed by the bill, even though this is the most worrying aspect of animal mistreatment. Indeed, while the Act  has certainly introduced regulations for online sales, it has not put in place any concrete means of control to ensure these are respected. Last, the policy of neutering dogs has been abandoned, while that of neutering cats will simply be a pilot. Yet neutering helps to reduce escaped animals, cancers and reproduction among strays. In just 4 years, one breeding pair of cats can lead to the birth of more than 20,000 kittens. The potential scale of this is truly alarming and was the central driver for the bill in many ways. Other European countries such as the Netherlands have been very successful in controlling the number of stray animals through simple and effective government mass sterilisation policies. La Réunion has a serious problem with stray dogs. There has been an increase in the number of attacks in recent years and the people of the island are increasingly concerned as a result. With approximately 75,000 stray dogs on an island of around 860,000 inhabitants, the situation is simply out of control. The Government recently launched a call for projects on this issue from associations, promising a budget of 300,000 euros. But it is already clear that this will not be enough: local groups are warning that the real cost of sterilising these animals runs into millions of euros. While it is  true that the law to combat animal abuse has made progress, it does not go far enough and the situation is truly urgent, especially in the overseas territories. She therefore asks the Government when a properly comprehensive policy for the sterilisation of dogs and cats, of critical importance for La Réunion and in the overseas territories, will be implemented. She asks further whether professionals are to be asked to train pet shop owners in the proper management of animals in distress. Last, she asks what controls are to be put in place to make efforts to combat the sale of animals on social networks effective. 

Answer: The fight to prevent pet abandonment is a priority for the Government, which is taking action in several areas. First, as part of the France Relance recovery programme, an initial national budget of €20 million has been set aside for actions to step up the fight against animal abandonment and strays since 2021. This €20 million has been allocated to four measures: the organisation and professionalisation of local associations to be carried out by national associations or foundations; funds to invest in shelters and the sterilisation of stray animals; funds to provide access to veterinary care for animals of the homeless; and the creation of a national observatory for the protection of domestic carnivores that will provide objective data on the situation, ensure transparency on such data, and contribute to changes in public policies. The allocation of funds for shelters and the sterilisation of stray animals originally stood at €14 million. This sum of 14 M€ was destined for all animal protection associations on French territory. A budget was set aside for the overseas Départementswhere sterilisation campaigns are to reduce stray dog populations, a problem of particular importance in these Départements. Nationally, this €14 million has made it possible to finance more than 330 projects. In light of this success and the continued needs identified, the President of the Republic announced on 4 October 2021 that the initial budget would be increased by a further €15 million. These new funds will make it possible to fund new sterilisation campaigns and to formalise small groups without shelters. Successful bids for this new funding will be announced in March 2022. Second, the fight against pet abandonment is not confined to the French Recovery Plan. Act number 2021-1539, passed in 30 November 2021 set out to combat animal abuse and strengthen the bond between animals and humans, includes several measures with the same goal. In terms of accountability, it requires a certificate of commitment and knowledge to be signed prior to the acquisition of a dog or cat. A decree is currently being prepared to set out the terms of its implementation. It also provides a strict framework for ownership transfers via Internet sites. Online advertisements may only be posted on pages dedicated to animal advertisements, which must also include awareness-raising messages. The website host will also have to set up a data verification process, in accordance with procedures to be specified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in a forthcoming order. Advertisements that do not comply with these provisions may be subject to a fine. The law provides for other measures that have a positive impact on the problem of stray animals: town and city police officers and rural wardens can now check the identification of dogs and cats and, provided they are correctly identified, can return them directly to their owners without impoundment. In the case of stray cats, more specifically, the Act provides for the presentation to Parliament of a report on the cost of capturing and sterilising these animals. This report will be accompanied by permanent and operational recommendations. Last, since awareness-raising among children is essential from the earliest age, the Ministries of Education and Agriculture and Food are currently working on the development of an educational tool to raise awareness of animal welfare that can be used in primary-school classrooms.