Document type written answer published in theJournal Officiel of the French Republic
Authors: question: Mme Yaël Menache (Rassemblement National - Somme). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
Question: Ms. Yaël Menache draws the attention of the Minister of the Interior and Overseas France to the suffering of certain pets, and in particular that of many dogs that are kept permanently tethered. The Decree of October 25, 1982 on the breeding, keeping and possession of animals, and in particular Chapter II - Pets and similar animals, makes no mention of the duty to leave dogs entirely untethered for a minimum period of time each day. In reality, too many dog owners leave their dogs tethered, sometimes permanently, resulting in permanent stress for these animals, and even injuries that could be avoided if they were given a few hours of freedom unrestrained by a leash or harness. Legal provisions exist in many countries. Following veterinary reports and surveys, the minimum requirements that should be adopted in this respect are as follows: 1. animals must not be permanently tethered. 2. dogs must be taken out every day, in accordance with their need for movement. On such outings, whenever possible, they should also be allowed to move freely off the lead. 3. If they cannot be taken out, dogs must nevertheless be allowed to move around in an enclosure every day. Staying in a kennel or being kept tied to a running chain are not considered outings for a dog. 4. Dogs kept tethered must be allowed to move freely in daytime for at least 5 hours. The rest of the time, they must be able to move about in a space of at least 20m2, attached to a running chain. She therefore asks whether he will initiate, as soon as possible, a modification of the Decree of October 25, 1982 on the breeding, keeping and possession of animals, and in particular of Chapter II - Pets and similar animals, or alternatively, at the very least, take the measures that are needed to remedy this situation.
Answer: Point 6 of Appendix I, Chapter II of the Decree of October 25, 1982 on the breeding, keeping and possession of animals stipulates: "Guard dogs and, in general, all pets and similar animals that re kept tethered or enclosed by their owners must have permanent access to a kennel or shelter designed to protect them from the weather. Tethering is forbidden for animals that have not reached adult size". Point 8 also states: "a) For guard dogs and, in general, all pets and similar animals that are tethered by their owners, the collar and chain must be proportionate to the animal's size and strength, must not be excessively heavy and must not hinder its movements" and "c) The length of the chain must not be less than 2.50 meters for sliding chains and 3 meters for chains attached to any other tethering device provided for above". Point 4 reiterates the need to ensure conditions compatible with physiological needs: "a) It is forbidden to confine pets and similar animals in conditions incompatible with their physiological needs (...)". Dogs may therefore be tethered under certain conditions. The Ministry of Agriculture has no statistics on the number of dogs that are tethered. However, inspections carried out by the departmental offices level responsible for population protection have not revealed that this is a common practice, including in cases of the monitoring of abuse by these départements. Furthermore, this decree is supplemented by the decree of April 3, 2014 concerning, among other activities, dog breeding. This more recent and more precise decree sets out the requirements for ensuring that animal welfare is respected. In this respect, Annex II Section I Chapter I specifies in Point 3: "Dogs must be able to move freely, without hindrance or discomfort. They may only be tethered occasionally and in accordance with the decree of October 25, 1982 on the breeding, keeping and detention of animals". There is therefore no need to modify current regulations.
