Animal regulations

Marineland in south of France again criticised over new whale death

An animal welfare association has filed a legal complaint but the park denies it keeps orcas in poor conditions

What are the rules for owning a goat in France?

Goats are sociable and energetic animals that can help keep your grass tidy

Puppy illegally imported to France found to have rabies

Several people treated at an anti-rabies clinic after exposure

Can I get rabies vaccine in UK for EU pet passport issued in France?

British citizens can, in some cases, get an EU passport, which is cheaper and lasts longer than the British health certificates that have come in since Brexit

Video: Orca whale seen in Seine river but authorities cannot intervene

The animal has been observed in the river between le Havre and Rouen. Its health is now thought to be at risk

Breeding like rabbits: Row over wild animals’ presence in Paris

The animals, which are common in Les Invalides gardens, are no longer considered to be ‘pests’, prompting environmental managers to warn of the damage they can cause

How do I register my pet with I-CAD in France?

Registration with the I-CAD database is obligatory for all domestic animals

Is my pet passport still valid despite 90-day limit on stay in France

We look at the rules for British people being able to register their pets in France’s database, a necessary step to get a pet passport

Do I need deworming stamp on my pet passport for UK to France travel?

We explain the rules for the treatment of tapeworms for dogs for cross-Channel trips

Guide to adopting a cat or dog in France, how to get pet advice

300,000 pets are abandoned in France annually but stricter rules on pet ownership may help animals find forever homes

French animal protection law ‘inspired’ by UK

Loïc Dombreval, the MP who pushed for the new animal protection law explains how Britain was a useful model and why hunting issues had to be put to one side

Upgrade for Strasbourg zoo but the welfare debate continues

Zoo de l’Orangerie in Strasbourg has been given a new lease of life by Freaks Architecture, but the zoo is being increasingly criticised by animal rights groups

France’s new animal welfare law passes: What will it change for pets?

New pet owners will have to sign a certificate confirming they understand the responsibilities involved plus there will be harsher punishments for abandonment and cruelty

Confusion over EU pet passport rules costs British dog owner £500

The dog owner who lives in France fell foul of a mix up in rules around EU pet passports and rabies injections on a recent visit to the UK

French law for animal wellbeing to be debated in parliament

New legislation against dog abandonment and more will be discussed in the Assemblée nationale from today, as Parc Asterix retires its famous performing dolphins

French circus replaces wild animals with holograms

Circuses are innovating new ways to include popular animals in shows, as a ban on using wild animals in performances is planned in France

France to fight pet abandonment with new adoption rules

The government has proposed new rules on pet adoption and purchasing as more than 100,000 animals are abandoned in France each year

Six arrested in eastern France after illegal boar hunt

Gendarmerie used a helicopter to survey an area of forest, and caught the poachers ‘in the act’ of hunting boar with dogs and 4x4 vehicles

Circuses ‘are reluctant to give up their animals’

Europe’s first elephant sanctuary near Limoges is ready to home former circus elephants, but know it will take time

Hunting for large game permitted in France despite lockdown

The exception to the lockdown law was granted this weekend, with pro-hunters saying it does not go far enough but animal welfare campaigners dubbing it a “scandal”

Southern French village cancels all future bullfight events

The decision in the village of Vergèze in the Gard comes after a bull escaped during the annual festival last year

France: Cats avoid being categorised environmentally harmful

The Assemblée Nationale has thrown out an amendment that would have considered cats to be dangerous predators and ‘a threat to biodiversity’

Circus owners to protest against France’s wild animal ban

Travelling circus owners are today (October 6) protesting against the announcement late last month that wild animals used in circuses and dolphinariums are to be “gradually” banned in France.

EU may outlaw cage farming after 1.4m sign new initiative

Farming using cages could be banned in the European Union after almost 1.4 million EU citizens signed a new initiative against the practice, with the proposal now set to be examined by the European Commission.

France horse attacks: Police release man without charge

50-year-old released without charge late on Monday

Macron bans ‘illegal’ hunting of thrush and blackbirds

The President took the decision to ban birdlime (or "glue") hunting after meeting with hunting representatives and politicians. The ban is in place for one year.

MEP: France hunts in an illegal way

A French MEP has called for “a gradual stoppage of hunting” in France and said that hunters in the country currently “hunt protected species in a totally illegal way”.

Judge rules 1,430 foxes can be killed in Normandy this year

The ministry of justice has upheld a prefectorial decree ordering the killing of 1,430 foxes by 2021, despite opposition from nature protection association One Voice.

15+ horses killed and mutilated in France this year

One horse, which had already died of natural causes, was found with its ear, eye and nose removed this week. The attack is the latest in a string of around 15 similar incidents in France this year.

500,000 sign petition for French vote on animal cruelty

The petition is also supported by over 100 animal welfare organisations and influential French personalities. More signatures and parliamentary support are needed for the issues to go to referendum.

How to repel wild boars in France: try juniper wood oil

Farmers and hunters are sharing the latest tip for keeping wild boar away from crops – juniper wood essential oil.

Alsace great hamster is in ‘critical danger of extinction’

A species of hamster native to Alsace is now in “critical danger” of extinction, with only around 1,500 left today compared to hundreds of thousands in the 1970s, conservationists have warned.

French business leaders support new animal welfare campaign

Three high-profile business founders in France have come out in support of holding a referendum on animal welfare issues - including the end of battery and intensive farming, the use of fur, and animal experimentation.

End animal cruelty and abandonment in France, says MP report

People in France should not be allowed to buy pets “impulsively”, harsher penalties should apply for animal cruelty, and there should be a special hotline to report mistreatment, a French MP has said in a new report.

Brigitte Bardot demands right to keep wild boar as a pet

French actress and animal welfare campaigner Brigitte Bardot is calling on authorities in southwest France to allow a woman to keep a wild boar as a pet. After officials refused permission the boar now risks euthanasia.

€30,000 reward for info on southwest France bear killer

A €30,000 reward is being offered by NGO Sea Shepherd for any information about a Pyrenees bear shot in Ustou (Ariège, Occitanie) on June 9. Police are investigating the killing.

Pet owners in France urged to microchip animals

Pet owners in France are being urged to microchip their pets for identification purposes by national associations, as the first National Pet Identification Week begins (June 8-14).

Dangerous exotic turtles found in France

Unusual reptiles found along the Canal du Midi near Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie) have been identified as dangerous alligator snapping turtles, with local residents advised to be alert.

Bullfighting ban debated in south of France mayor race

A minority of municipal election candidates in the south of France have called for a ban on bullfighting, as anti-bullfighting groups step up the pressure on politicians to take a stand on the issue.

Wolf tail gift ‘bad taste’ says French welfare group

A wolf and predator welfare association has denounced a wolf tail that was given by the president of a French council as a leaving gift, as being “in very bad taste”.

French political party lists cat as local candidate

A French political party has presented a cat as one of its candidates in an imminent municipal election in Rennes, Brittany.

Cat owners in France risk €135 fine if pet not chipped

Cat owners living in France, beware: you may soon risk a €135 fine and further penalties if your feline friend does not have an identification microchip or tattoo.

Ban on chick culling in France by the end of 2021

The government said new methods were emerging that would make it possible to test the sex of embryos inside the egg

‘More bears’ for French Pyrenees despite Macron pledge

More bears will be released into the French Pyrenees, a pro-bear association has vowed, despite President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge this week to stop their release.

End to eight-year battle over 'noisy frog' pond

Neighbours had complained that they could 'no longer stand' the constant noise

Paris votes to ban circuses with wild animals

The city of Paris council has voted to ban the authorisation of circuses that use wild animals, from the end of 2020.

Egg industry chick culling method to be banned

Announcement on ban of culling by maceration follows German court ruling in June 2019

Animal rights groups hit back as MPs attend bullfight

Animal rights groups have hit back and reignited a debate over the legality of bullfighting in France after two ministers were seen attending a bullfight in the south of the country.

Bow and arrow boar hunting prompts debate in France

The decision to allow wild boars to be hunted by bow and arrow in the Vaucluse is prompting debate, with hunting experts in favour of the move, but local welfare groups launching a petition against it.

Situation 'critical' at French animal rescue centres

Available places hard to find as SPA centres reach 'saturation point'

8000 pets 'abandoned in France this summer'

Société protectrice des animaux centres have been inundated ahead of holiday season, president says

Dog-friendly holidays and activities on rise in France

Holiday destinations and activities that allow owners to bring their pet dogs with them are growing rapidly in France, with the number of dog-friendly establishments and dog-suitable activities on the rise.

France pilots cameras in abattoirs for animal welfare

Abattoirs in France may soon be fitted with surveillance cameras as part of the government’s plans to fight against animal cruelty and malpractice.

Missing: Bald eagle from French animal park

An 18-year-old bald eagle with a 2.2-metre wingspan is the subject of a major search operation in Brittany, after she became lost during a display at the Aquashow animal park in Finistère.

Bullfighting cannot use ‘live’ tax rate, France rules

Bullfighting cannot be considered as a “live performance”, and is therefore not eligible for a reduced 5.5% VAT rate, French high court the Conseil d’Etat has ruled.

French Pyrenees: Advice as bears leave hibernation

Experts have issued guidelines on what to do if you come across a bear in the French Pyrenees, as authorities confirm that the bears in the region are now beginning to come out of hibernation this year.

French dog owners ordered to pay for horse accident

The owners of two dogs that inadvertently caused a serious horse-riding accident have been deemed responsible, and ordered to pay €815,000 in compensation and costs, a French court has ruled.

France issues hunt ‘pardon’ for escaped wild animals

Wild animals in France that end up running into inhabited or built-up areas due to wild hunting will now be “pardoned” and allowed to go free, according to a new government decree.

Glue trap hunting method upheld in French court

Bird hunters in France have been given permission to continue using the traditional method of “glue trap hunting”, after the French Conseil d’Etat rejected a demand for its ban.

French law: can we keep stray dog I found?

We found a stray dog with no ID chip/tattoo, can we keep it? I.G.

French town imposes €200 fine for dog droppings

Dog owners who do not clean up their pets' droppings on the street could now be fined €200 per infraction in one commune in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

‘Problem’ bear could be moved to another area or shot

Officials in France and Spain are considering what to do about a bear which has taken to killing horses, sheep and goats and raiding bee-hives as it roams through the Pyrenees.

French group calls for ban on 'scandal' horse hormones

A French welfare association is calling for a ban on imported horse hormones to French farms after a video emerged showing serious mistreatment of pregnant horses in South America.

French eggs to go free-range only

Agriculture minister unveils plan to ban sale of battery eggs in supermarkets by 2022

No slaughter for 12,000 Lot-et-Garonne bird flu ducks

The 12,000 ducks in the Lot-et-Garonne infected with a low-risk strain of bird flu will not be killed, it was confirmed today.

Animal protection society launches bullfight complaint

A French animal protection society has launched a new complaint towards the practice of bullfighting, calling it a “grave act of cruelty”.

The ugly truth about the eggs we buy

Animal rights group L214 has shocked the public into changing their buying habits, forcing supermarket chains to respond by moving away from cage-laid eggs - but there's more to do, a spokesman says

Pyrénées farmers denounce rise in bears killing sheep

Over 400 sheep are said to have been killed by wild bears in the Pyrénées in the past month, with some saying the killings are threatening farmers’ livelihoods and the sustainability of the area.

I broke the law but my hedgehogs live

Mike Addley wins the Connexion letter of the month for July 2017 and a copy of our Puzzle Book.