Animal welfare and rights in France facts for kids

Animal welfare and animal rights in France are about how non-human animals are treated and the laws that protect them. France has a good level of animal protection compared to many other countries.

Laws Protecting Animals in France

France has a long history of caring for animals through laws. The very first law to protect animals was passed in 1850. It mainly stopped people from being cruel to animals in public places. Later, in 1959, a new rule made it illegal to mistreat animals kept as pets or in captivity.

A big step forward happened in 1976. France passed an animal welfare law that said domestic animals can feel things. This made France one of the first countries to recognize that animals have feelings. This law also said that if possible, other methods should be used instead of animal testing.

Most of France's rules about animal cruelty are found in two main law books: the Penal Code and the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code. These laws protect animals that are pets, tamed, or kept in captivity.

• The Penal Code makes it a crime to seriously hurt, be cruel to, or abandon a pet, tamed, or captive animal.
• The Rural and Maritime Fishing Code gives more details about what counts as cruelty.

However, some traditional practices like bullfighting and cockfighting are allowed if they are part of a long-standing local tradition. Also, force-feeding geese and ducks to make foie gras is allowed and is even required for products labeled as foie gras. Since these laws mainly cover domestic or captive animals, there aren't many basic laws against cruelty to wild animals.

France also follows the animal protection rules set by the European Union (EU). For animals used in research, the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code has rules for licenses and welfare. These rules are based on "The Three Rs":

• Reduce the number of animals used.
• Refine methods to cause less suffering.
• Replace animals with other options when it's scientifically possible.

In 2015, the French parliament made an important change. They updated the French Civil Code to say that non-human animals are no longer just "property." Instead, they are now seen as "living beings gifted with sentience," meaning they can feel things. It's still being decided what new protections this change will bring for animals.

Animal Issues in France

Animals Used for Food

Farming Animals for Food

Many animals are raised and killed for food in France each year. Here are some numbers from recent years:

• About 13.3 million pigs (2014)
• About 19.25 million cattle (2014), which is the most in the EU
• About 7.17 million sheep (2014)
• About 0.94 million goats (2014)
• About 745 million chickens (2014)
• About 76 million ducks (2014)
• About 46 million turkeys (2014)
• About 51.3 million egg-laying hens (2010)
• About 205,000 tons of farmed fish and seafood (2012)
• About 529,000 tons of wild-caught fish and seafood (2013)

France is the biggest producer of eggs in the EU. In 2011, animal activists found that some farms were still using small, old-style battery cages for hens. This was against EU rules that require larger "enriched" cages. Activists saw that many hens had lost feathers and had their beaks trimmed. They also found dead hens left in cages.

France is also a major producer of foie gras, a controversial food. It involves force-feeding geese and ducks for several weeks to make their livers grow very large. Several countries, like Britain and Germany, and the U.S. state of California, have banned making foie gras. A 2014 survey showed that nearly half of French people would support banning force-feeding.

In 2016, a French animal activist group called L214 released a secret video from an organic slaughterhouse. The video showed animals being treated badly and killed while still awake. This video led authorities to close the slaughterhouse for two months.

Veganism in France

It's hard to find exact numbers for how many vegans live in France. However, surveys suggest that about 1.5-2% of French people are vegetarian. In 2011, a French government rule made it difficult to serve vegan meals in French schools. Similar rules have been suggested for other places like hospitals and retirement homes.

Animals Used for Research

In 2011, French researchers performed tests on about 2.2 million animals. This was the highest number in any EU country at that time.

Animals Used for Clothing

Raising animals for their fur is legal in France. There are many fur farms where animals like mink and rabbits are raised. In 2013, there was a suggestion to ban new fur farms, but this idea has not become a law.

Animal Activism in France

L214 is a French animal activist group started in 2008. They focus on animals used for food because these animals make up the largest number of animals used by humans. Their work includes:

• Sharing information about how animals live on farms.
• Doing secret investigations of places where animals are used.
• Encouraging people to try veganism.
• Making people think about speciesism, which is the idea that humans are more important than other animals.

The group's name, L214, comes from the article in the 1976 French rural code that first said animals are beings that can feel things.

One Voice is another important animal protection group in France, founded in 1998. They work on many issues, such as:

• Campaigns against animal testing.
• Protesting fur farming.
• Working to stop bullfighting and animal abuse in circuses.
• Improving the welfare of farm animals.
• Protecting whales and dolphins.