Document type: article published on TF1 Info
Author: Dimodi Epee
Preview: While it was already possible to report animal abuse online, it will now be possible to do so by telephone. The first dedicated telephone hotline for the public to report this type of incident will be launched on Monday June 24. It will operate as a friendly ear and regulator and will offer guidance.
The four-digit number, 3677, which is short and easy to remember, has been launched by the Conseil national de la protection Animale (CNPA) and will be the first telephone line devoted solely to reports of animal abuse. As of Monday June 24, when a caller dials this number, they will be directed to a platform that is open 365 days a year, 7 days a week. Each issue reported will be logged separately and callers will be directed to the right organisation, professional or authority, whether this is an association, a veterinary surgeon or the police. Partly intended to prevent reports by witnesses who don't know who to contact from slipping through the cracks, 3677 will make the work of government services and associations easier. It will also help to establish reliable statistics. These statistics will be fed back to the government and will be used to support the development of public policies in favor of animal welfare.
A price tag of 300,000 euros
Almost 230,000 French citizens from all round the country have signed a petition calling for the creation of this single emergency number. According to a survey of 3,000 participants carried out by Woopets, only 27% of people who had already reported abuse had found it easy to find the right way to report it. The CNPA says that a telephone hotline with direct human contact is the best way to report abuse. Although the system has cost the association nearly 300,000 euros, the investment will quickly pay for itself, according to Loïc Dombreval, President of the CNPA. Each call will in fact be billed by the platform, whether the abuse case is proven or not.
