Eight months after the vote of an emblematic law against animal mistreatment, a first text defines the new rules for the acquisition of a horse and the issue of the “certificate of commitment“For owners of cats or dogs, according to a decree published Tuesday, July 19 in the Official Journal.
The law “aiming to fight against animal abuse and to strengthen the bond between animals and humans“, promulgated on November 30, 2021, provides in particular for the gradual banning of wild animals in circuses and dolphinariums, the end of the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores in 2024, better supervision of the sale of animals online and tougher sentences for abuse or abandonment. The range of measures first targets pets. One in two French people owns one, but each year, some 100,000 animals are abandoned.
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“Accommodation contracts”
To avoid impulse purchases, a “certificate of commitment and knowledgewill be issued before any acquisition. The decree published on Tuesday specifies the “terms of delivery” of these certificates, on the one hand for any holder of equidae in a non-professional capacity, and on the other hand, “for any natural person who acquires a pet for payment or free of charge“. This certificate specifies for each species the needs of the animals and the obligations to be respected by the holder concerning the identification of the animal and the financial and logistical implications of the act of purchase.
In the case of the placement of a pet with foster families, the decree specifies the essential information included in the “hosting contract» of the cat, dog or hamster which must be signed by the host family and any shelter or association using the placement. Offers for the sale of pets online must be presented in a specific section which must include awareness and information messages.
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“Advertisements will be checked, in particular the validity of the registration of the animal on the national identification file, and will include the mention “verified ad“”, specifies the Ministry of Agriculture in a press release. The entry into force of these various texts will be staggered from October 2022 to July 2023. Other implementing decrees and orders are expected in the coming months on this major law against animal abuse, particularly on the criminal side.
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