Document type reply to parliamentary question 11681 published in the Journal officiel de la République française
Authors: question: Aurélien Saintoul (La France insoumise - Nouvelle Union Populaire écologique et sociale - Hauts-de-Seine). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.
Question: Mr. Aurélien Saintoul draws the attention of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty to the situation of associations and shelters for pets. In France, the Observatoire de Protection des Carnivores Domestiques (OCAD) estimates the number of domestic carnivores to be 15.1 million cats and 7.5 million dogs, figures that suggest th presence of a pet in more than half French households. In addition, there are between 200,000 and 300,000 pets without owners. Of these ownerless animals, 100,000 have been abandoned by the families they belong to, including 60,000 over the summer. According to animal rescue associations, this puts France at the top of the European league in terms of animal abandonments. Indeed, the Société Protectrice des Animaux (SPA) reports that it admitted almost 16,500 animals between May and August 2023, a sorry record that is broken year after year. By the start of the summer, there were 10,000 animals in the Association's shelters, and by the end of the summer, 8,000 were still awaiting adoption by a family, an increase of 2.4% on 2022. This is all the more alarming given that the SPA's usual intake capacity lies at just 7,000 places. Stakeholders in the sector criticise the fact that the shelters are full to bursting and the volunteers are exhausted. This situation is a direct consequence of the government's austerity policies and of galloping inflation. Indeed, veterinary care costs have risen by 5 to 10% depending on the veterinary practice, while the price of dry food has soared by 40% in one year. Prices in the rest of the pet aisle have also risen by around 15%. Today, the cost of a healthy pet comes to around 100 euros a month. As French households find it increasingly difficult to meet their basic needs, some find themselves forced to give up their pets. Additionally, unsterilized animals in the countryside are contributing to the number of births and hence to the overcrowding of animal shelters. by way of example, a pair of unsterilized cats can produce almost 20,000 descendants in 4 years. To stem the explosion in the number of animals in shelters, the Deputy would like to know whether the government intends to introduce a price freeze for pet products and a price scale for veterinary services. He also asks whether a campaign is planned to sterilize stray animals, and what resources will be provided for this purpose. Last, he would like information on the resources allocated to animal rescue associations, and whether there are any plans to increase these funds in the near future.
Answer: Reducing abandonment is a priority objective of the ministerial policy to combat animal abuse. In this regard, a plan to combat pet abandonment was launched in December 2020, following which numerous actions have been implemented. In this regard, the adoption of Law no. 2021-1539 of November 30, 2021, aimed at combating animal abuse and strengthening the bond between animals and humans, has led to the toughening of penalties for abandonment or any act of animal abuse. Since then, three implementing decrees have been published. Decree no. 2022-1012 of July 18, 2022, on the protection of companion animals and equidae against animal mistreatment, sets out the terms and conditions for the publication of online offers to sell, as well as the control procedures applicable to domestic carnivores since July 1, 2023. It also sets out the procedures for introducing the certificates of commitment and knowledge that must be requested from all new pet buyers from October 1, 2022. In addition, mandatory awareness-raising messages to be included in advertisements have been defined by decree since June 28, 2023. The aim of this measure is to limit trafficking in dogs and cats, as well as ill-considered acquisitions based on a simple advertisement on an online site. These legislative and regulatory advances are important, and form part of a wider scheme implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty and financed through the France Relance plan. In this context, 35 million euros (M€) have been allocated to the fight against abandonment, in particular by improving the conditions in which animals are received and supporting sterilization campaigns. Over 500 projects have been supported and subsidized throughout France. Within this framework, €30 million was allocated directly to animal protection associations caring for abandoned animals, to enable them to expand or renovate their accommodation, or to conduct sterilization campaigns for stray cats and dogs, in partnership with local authorities. In addition, to optimize the work of animal protection associations, aid has been allocated to national associations to which the Ministry of Agriculture has entrusted the task of training and raising awareness among local associations. Under the "Vétérinaires pour tous" scheme, the care of animals belonging to the underprivileged or homeless is also financed, in order to promote veterinary care for these animals and encourage sterilization. Additionally, to complement these efforts, a further €1m has been earmarked to support animal protection shelters and associations under the 2023 and 2024 Finance Acts. The 2024 finance law provides for the allocation of 3 M€ to local authorities to help pay for the sterilization of stray and domestic cats. In the absence of reliable data on abandonment and due to a lack of knowledge of the circumstances that can lead to an animal being abandoned, the first Observatory for the Protection of Domestic Carnivores (OCAD) was set up in 2021. Its steering committee brings together all stakeholders involved in the care of pets, from animal rescue associations to professionals, scientists and national and local authority representatives and public bodies. OCAD's mission is to make recommendations on public policy, and it has already embarked on an initial project to gather information useful for analyzing and defining pet abandonment. Last, as the summer period is marked by a sharp rise in pet abandonment, the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty has launched an awareness-raising campaign to prevent abandonment for the third year running.
