Animal category: Canines

Assemblée nationale : réponse écrite à la question n°128 : Euthanasies d’animaux

Question: Mme Maud Petit (Val-de-Marne (4th district) - Les Démocrates). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.

Published in 2025

In response to a question from a Deputy on the abusive euthanasia practices of some shelters and pounds, the French government replies that it is closely monitoring the issue of animal euthanasia, and has set up the Observatoire de la protection des carnivores domestiques (OCAD) to improve the collection of information on abandonment and euthanasia figures. The oversight framework for the pet trade is designed to limit impulse buying and encourage responsible adoption. OCAD is continuing its work to refine the data and strengthen animal protection.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

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Assemblée nationale : réponse écrite à la question n°1077 : Interdiction de la vente de chiens et chats dans les animaleries

Question: M. Karine Lebon (Réunion (2nd district) - Gauche Démocrate et Républicaine). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.

Published in 2025

In response to a question from a Deputy on the fact that, although the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops has been illegal since January 2024, the absence of penalties hampers enforcement, the government notes that the temporary accommodation in pet shops of animals involved in online sales is tolerated. It is also working on strengthening the European regulations on the welfare and traceability of pets.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

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Assemblée nationale : réponse écrite à la question n°3207 : Abandons d’animaux, obligation d’identification et stérilisation

Question: Aurélien Dutremble (RN). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2025

Question from an Assembly member to the French government on  overcrowding in shelters and the rise  in animal abandonment. The French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty lists the animal protection measures it is bringing into force through a dedicated plan. The plan aims to prevent abandonment, improve the management of stray animals and increase penalties for non-compliance, while bringing funding streams and interministerial cooperation to bear.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002928/2024: Protection of hunting dogs in Spain

Question: Maria Ohisalo (Greens/EFA). Answer: Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2025

Answer to a question on whether future European legislation on dogs and cats will include measures to prevent the traditional abuse of and cruelty towards Spanish hunting dogs at the end of the hunting season.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Canine

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If you blink at me, I'll blink back. Domestic dogs' feedback to conspecific visual cues

Chiara Canori, Tiziano Travain, Giulia Pedretti, Rachele Fontani, Paola Valsecchi

Published in 2025

Study suggesting that dogs may mimic the eye blinks of other dogs, indicating a potential role in communication. The results also show that these signals do not induce stress, paving the way for further research into their social impact.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Socialization, Stress

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Face readers

Christa Lesté-Lasserre

Published in 2025

Article reviewing the multiple potential benefits of AI for the analysis of animals' facial expressions and detection of signs of pain or complex emotions, in which it sometimes performs better than human experts. Researchers are developing algorithms capable of interpreting the emotional states of dogs, cats, horses and primates using deep learning and annotated image databases. However, scientists remain wary of the lack of transparency in the decisions made by AI, and are seeking to combine facial analysis with other indicators to refine the assessment of animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Canine, Equine, Feline

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Identification, Wellfare indicators

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Order of July 19, 2024 publishing the list of training organizations authorized to deliver continuing professional development training for those working with domestic pets.

L. Maurer

Published in 2024

Arrêté ministériel modifiant l’encadrement de la formation pour l’ACACED

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Animal trade, Education, Identification, Abuse

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Soundboard-trained dogs produce non-accidental, non-random and non-imitative two-button combinations

Bastos, A.P.M., Houghton, Z.N., Naranjo, L., Rossano, F.

Published in 2024

Study suggesting that dogs' use of sound boards to produce words or phrases is neither random nor simple imitatation, but could be intentional. Certain combinations of two-button concepts appear more frequently would be likely if they were random, suggesting that the dogs may be communicating using symbols.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords: Learning, training, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships

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The beauty of the beast: Suggestions to curb the excesses of dog breeding and restore animal welfare - Invited review

C Diederich

Published in 2024

Review exploring the history of dogs and the challenges faced by modern domestic dogs, whose basic needs are often not fulfilled. It analyzes the impacts of breed standards, extreme breeding and dysfunctional human processes, while proposing solutions to improve the welfare of dogs.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Education, Evolutionary processes, Human-animal relationships

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-001907/2024: Greece is failing to meet its animal welfare obligations

Question: Matthias Ecke (S&D). Answer: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2024

Answer from the European Commission to a parliamentary question on non-commercial pet movements in Greece, where the government refuses to cooperate with animal welfare associations to implement the TRACES system. The Commission points out that such movements, which are associated with transfers of animal ownership, are covered by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688, which does not require the use of TRACES.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords: Adoption,Abandonment, Animal trade, Transport

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