Document type : article published in Ouest France
Author: Christel Trinquier
Preview: In animal protection circles, the idea has been circulating since 1995: to set up a single national hotline where private individuals could directly report any acts of animal abuse they witness. It has become a reality since June 24, 2024, with the opening of 36 77, a free telephone hotline operating seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays (and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at weekends). As proof, if any were needed, that the initiative meets a real need: in the two months since its launch, 36 77 has received no fewer than 18,000 calls. Behind the initiative is the Conseil National de Protection Animale (CNPA, National Council for Animal Protection), chaired by Loïc Dombreval, whose active role in drafting the November 30, 2021 law to combat animal abuse is well known. When faced with a case of abuse, the vast majority of French people are powerless," he explains. They don't know who to contact and/or don't necessarily turn to the right person. With this single number, we simplify the process for them, while at the same time pre-processing reports to ensure better care.
Signposting and filtering
More concretely, 36 77 functions as a filtering and redirection platform: our operators - all paid employees and duly trained - will first assess the situation: is it a life or death emergency? Is it a case of abuse or a neighbor dispute (calls of this type are plentiful)? On the basis of the information collected, each caller will be referred to the correct contact person as close as possible to the place where the report was made. We don't intervene in the field, but in the event of a life-threatening emergency, the police have made a national commitment to prioritise reports supported by 36 77, precisely because they have been verified.
It's a one-stop shop that should provide relief for the switchboards of animal protection associations, as well as those of police and gendarmerie services, who are generally contacted in the first instance. 36 77 provides a genuine public service, and we regret that the French government did not participate in funding the project", commented Loïc Dombreval. Despite what its name might suggest, the CNPA is an association. Recognized as being an organisation in the public interest, it is financed exclusively by the private sector. And it is currently on the hunt for new partners to carry out its new mission: for the present, there are only seven 36 77 operators...
