Document type: Answer to question no 7524, published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française
Authors: question : Aurélien Dutremble (RN). Answer: French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
Question: Mr. Aurélien Dutremble 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) puts the number of domestic carnivores at 15.1 million cats and 7.5 million dogs, suggesting that more than half of French households have a pet. In addition, there are between 200,000 and 300,000 animals without owners. Of these ownerless animals, 100,000 have been abandoned by their households, of which 60,000 were abandoned during the summer months. According to the animal charities, this situation makes France the European champion in pet abandonment. Those involved in the sector deplore the fact that the shelters are full to overflowing and that volunteers are exhausted. In just a few years, the number of abandoned animals has multiplied by 3, as the animal association network in Burgundy and its members in Saône-et-Loire have testified to the Deputy. With regard to the ever-increasing influx of stray cats, it is imperative to ensure that Article L. 212-10 of the French Rural and Maritime Fishing Code, which requires cats to be identified before being sold, is complied with. The identification process enables lost pets to be found, prevents uncontrolled abandonment in the countryside and, as has been proven, enables animals to be sterilized. By contrast , lack of identification leads to massive proliferation, since 95% of owners who don't have their pets identified don't sterilize them either. Against this backdrop of uncontrolled reproduction, which leads to abuse and unacceptable damage to animal welfare, he would like to know what measures the Minister intends to implement, as well as the figures for penalties imposed on those who fail to comply with the requirement to identify their animals. Last, he would like to know what sums are allocated to animal shelter associations, and whether she plans to increase this budget in the near future.
Answer: The government has been committed to animal welfare for several years in response to what is a strong and legitimate societal expectation, and it condemns all acts of animal abuse, whether in breeding establishments, abattoirs or in the home. To this end, since 2020 and as part of the France Relance plan, more than 36 million euros have been granted to animal protection associations and veterinary practices. Similarly, since the adoption of the law to combat animal abuse on November 30, 2021, four implementing decrees and six ministerial orders have been published, to enable the strengthening of training for employees and volunteers in contact with pets, information for new buyers, control of animal identification in online advertising, and the strengthening of penalties for acts of abuse. To extend the positive momentum initiated by the French Government, a plan dedicated to the welfare of companion animals was announced on May 22, 2024. Its national monitoring committee, chaired by the Minister for Agriculture, brings together four ministries, industry professionals and civil society players, to ensure that its actions are properly coordinated. For the French State, the aim is to support and derive the greatest benefit from current and future initiatives in three areas: preventing and combating pet abandonment, improving the management of canine and feline strays, and preventing and combating pet abuse. To achieve this, the plan is structured around concrete measures that contribute to five major areas: understanding the situation and identifying levers for action; informing, eliciting information and training; facilitating synergies between the players involved in animal protection; increasing the protections provided by the regulations; and renewing funding mechanisms. The first priority of this plan is to better characterize and objectify situations of abandonment, straying and abuse, and to produce reliable, accurate statistics. In this respect, the mobilization of the expertise of the French Observatory for the Protection of Domestic Carnivores (OCAD) and the centralization on a single platform of data relating to the situations described above will enable the public authorities to make informed decisions. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture will make it easier for professionals and private individuals to take on board the new mandatory requirements, notably in via a responsible acquisition program, and by renewing its communication drives on the fight against abandonment and abuse, on sterilization and the identification of animals, and on access to care for those unable to pay for themselves. In addition, the ministry will strive to integrate these concerns into animal-related vocational training courses.
If these measures are to be effectively implemented, synergies must be facilitated between the various bodies and associations involved in animal protection, especially by setting up an interministerial governance framework setting out the role of each party. Under this framework, the Ministry of Agriculture has responsibility for public policy on the protection of domestic animals, the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion looks after policy on wild animals, while the Ministry of the Interior and Overseas Territories oversees efforts to eradicate animal abuse and trafficking, and supports the other ministries in enacting the legal procedures, monitored by the Ministry of Justice. As part of this framework, an interministerial training course on combating animal abuse has been developed for all agents involved, including law enforcement officers, and this will go online in autumn 2024. In addition, the "Ma sécurité" platform, run by the Ministry of the Interior, will be consolidated, to become the preferred centralized tool for the reporting of abuse to government departments and agencies. Similarly, discussions will be held with animal protection associations to identify ways of professionalizing local associations through the provision of training on good practices and the regulations. Last, the Ministry of Agriculture will step up its efforts to raise awareness in town halls of the need to prevent the straying of animals and to manage pounds. The aim will also be to introduce greater protections into the current regulations, on the one hand by assessing how the Animal Abuse Act of 2021 is being applied and, on the other, by updating the April 3, 2014 decree concerning pet-related activities. In addition, a change in European legislation is underway, driven by the French government, involving the European Commission's proposal on December 7, 2023, concerning the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats being traded on the European market. The French government played an active role in the European discussions on this draft regulation, proposing strong measures such as a ban on the use of electric collars, on tail docking and on the prolonged use of muzzles in premises where animals are kept. This draft regulation is currently under discussion in the European Parliament. The French State will hold itself ready to renew the funding mechanisms created by previous Finance Acts, notably for the sterilization of stray animals and the aid provided to local authorities for this purpose, through the creation of the "France protection animale" fund, designed to collect possible donations from private companies. Several actions under this plan have already been accomplished, are underway, or are planned for the near future, in particular those intended to introduce greater responsibility into the pet-buying process and thereby prevent abandonment. The government is determined to increase its up animal protection initiatives, and will remain alert to reports of stray, abandoned or abused animals. The latter may be prosecuted, both in mainland France and in the overseas territories.
