Think about your pets’ futures before moving to France

To the Editor,

Bella, Poppy and Daisy are lovely, healthy Labradors. 

Their owners, like so many of us, came to France to retire to the kind of property we could never dream of in the UK and to enjoy a happy life with their dogs. 

Two years ago, one owner died suddenly. 

Now the other is hospitalised and will not return home. 

The labradors were left in the garden and fed for a few weeks by neighbours, then ended up in the refuge.

Like a lot of expats, the owners did not speak French and did not integrate into the community. 

Nor did they make any arrangements for their dogs (at one stage they had eight!) in case the worst happened.

This is far from unique. 

I am currently fostering a 16-year-old dog whose non-French-speaking English owner is sick. 

I have known of other cases where Britons entered retirement homes or returned to live in flats in the UK without making provisions for their pets.

This is a plea to all owners to make advance arrangements. 

It does not only apply to retirees; anyone can have an accident, a divorce or separation or financial hardship meaning they can no longer look after their animals.

Get a commitment from friends or family or make a reciprocal arrangement with another animal lover. 

Make sure that neighbours and whoever will be dealing with your estate knows who will care for your pets when you cannot.

My personal nightmare is ending up unconscious in hospital while my dogs starve at home. 

I now keep a note with my driving licence and mobile phone. It provides a contact number, for whoever finds me, to make sure my dogs are looked after. 

It took two minutes and gives some peace of mind.

L.D., by email

Did you move to France with your pets? How straightforward was it and how well did they adapt? Let us know at letters@connexionfrance.com