Progressive ban on wild animals in circuses and dolphinariums, sale of puppies and kittens in prohibited pet stores, tougher penalties for abuse: the bill against animal abuse must be adopted definitively Thursday in the Senate, after a final vote on Tuesday, November 16 at the National Assembly.
Certificate for pets.
The French own more than nine million dogs, 15 million cats, a million equines. But they are also the European champions of abandonment. Article 1 of the proposed law provides that
"any person transferring a pet for payment or free of charge ensures"
that the purchaser signs a
"certificate of engagement and knowledge of the specific needs of the species"
.
The precise content of this certificate will be defined by decree.
The idea is to fight against abandonment by providing better information on the needs and costs (food, veterinary fees, education, etc.) related to owning a dog, cat or horse.
Parental consent will be required for any acquisition of a pet by a minor.
Concerning stray cats, the State and voluntary communities will be able to articulate their actions in terms of sterilization, within the framework of agreements, on an experimental basis for five years.
The question of a possible obligation of sterilization by the municipalities, initially planned, was a bone of contention between the Assembly and the Senate.
Pet shops and online sales.
It will be forbidden to sell or give away cats and dogs in pet stores from 2024. But pet stores may present abandoned cats and dogs taken in by associations, from which it will be possible to acquire them. The display in pet shops of animals visible from a road open to public traffic will no longer be permitted. In principle, it will also be prohibited to sell pets over the Internet, except for breeders in specific online sections. Platforms not implementing a prior checking system may be fined 7,500 euros. It will be prohibited to ship live vertebrate animals by post.
Hardening of penalties.
The text toughens the penalties for mistreatment, up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros in the event of the animal's death. The fact, publicly or not, of exercising serious abuse, or of a sexual nature, or of committing an act of cruelty towards a domestic or tamed animal, will henceforth be punished by three years of imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros. The recording of images will also be penalized. Committing these facts in the presence of a minor, or being the owner or guardian of the animal, will be an aggravating circumstance. There is also a range of penalties for
"intentional attacks on the life of an animal"
, and an aggravated penalty for abandonment in the event of immediate risk of death.
Traveling circuses and dolphinariums.
It will be forbidden to acquire wild animals and to breed them with a view to presenting them to the public in traveling circuses within two years after the promulgation of the law. And it will be prohibited to detain them within seven years. Some 800 wild animals are concerned, including 450 wild animals. Reception solutions should be offered to their owners. The bill also prohibits the exhibition of animals in private parties and discotheques. The presentation of wild animals on television will be prohibited, except for zoos and farms. Bear and wolf trainers will no longer be able to exhibit these species during traveling shows. Within five years, the detention and reproduction of cetaceans in captivity will no longer be permitted, as will their participation in shows.Two establishments have them in France (Planète Sauvage, Marineland). In addition, pony rides will be prohibited.
Mink farming.
The three American mink farms for their fur will be closed without delay.
The animals from a fourth farm, affected by Covid-19, were slaughtered in November 2020.
