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Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Shooting wolves? The courts say no

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Shooting wolves? The courts say no

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Shooting wolves? The courts say no
13.03.2026
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Shooting wolves? The courts say no
Wildlife

On 27 February 2026, following a request from One Voice, the Administrative Court in Marseille overturned six orders issued by the Prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region, authorising livestock farmers to shoot wolves. This victory comes just as the government has adopted legislation making it easier to shoot wolves. Faced with this setback, we are on high alert.

The court ruled that these orders were unlawful on two key points. Firstly, the prefecture claimed that cattle herds could not be protected, without providing any concrete evidence to support this. Yet this presumption does not hold water: each situation must be subject to an individualised technical and economic analysis before any shooting authorisation is granted. Secondly, it was incumbent upon the prefect to demonstrate that the farmer had indeed put protective measures in place. This was not the case.

Towards case law that protects wolves better

This verdict in favour of wolves is not an isolated case. It is in fact part of a body of case law built up over time: in 2024, the Administrative Court in Besançon had already struck down similar orders for the same reasons. In January 2026, it was the Court in Nice that overturned seven orders issued by the Prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes region. Victory after victory, a legal precedent is taking shape: exemptions from wolf protection are not an automatic right. They must be earned and justified.

A real victory, but one erased by the government

This decision is good news for the wolves of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. But it comes just as the government’s announcements have come into force. Gone is the obligation to protect herds before being allowed to shoot. Gone is the prior assessment. Farmers will be able to open fire on the basis of a simple declaration, without having to prove anything. What the courts have just condemned — the lack of evidence and protection — is set to become the legal norm.

We have denounced this text, which marks an ethical, ecological and political step backwards, from the very beginning. All the more so as it sends a disastrous signal to those who view wolves not as beings essential to our ecosystems but as targets.

We will not give in!

Faced with this declaration of war, One Voice will not stand idly by. We are preparing our response.

Because the law can be a shield, provided we take hold of it. Because behind the legal proceedings, there are wolf families. Like Milo, Mina and their cubs in Corrèze, threatened by poaching and an illegal hunt organised by the local FDSEA, and narrowly saved thanks to an emergency mobilisation.

Six illegal orders overturned in Marseille, seven in Nice: the case law protecting wolves is advancing. But the government intends to erase it all. To ensure this victory is not the last, we must act now: sign the petition for wolves!

Stop the persecution of wolves! 

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Shooting wolves? The courts say no

The courts have overturned six orders against wolves in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. A victory under threat from the government.

Stop à la persécution des loups ! Stop à la persécution des loups ! Stop à la persécution des loups ! Stop à la persécution des loups ! Stop à la persécution des loups ! Stop à la persécution des loups ! Stop à la persécution des loups ! Stop à la persécution des loups ! Stop à la persécution des loups ! Stop à la persécution des loups !

Court hearing in Gap: poaching and the death of Aramis brought before the courts

Court hearing in Gap: poaching and the death of Aramis brought before the courts

Court hearing in Gap: poaching and the death of Aramis brought before the courts
12.03.2026
Court hearing in Gap: poaching and the death of Aramis brought before the courts
Domestic animals

Last December, a man who is a member of the Vars hunting society was taken into custody for offences related to his hunting activities: undeclared weapons, the remains of animals killed illegally, and a husky named Aramis shot dead. One Voice has joined the proceedings as a civil party in this case which has been documented by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB). We will be present at the District Court in Gap on 19 March 2026 at 1.30 pm to demand a verdict commensurate with the violence inflicted.

The case came to light during an investigation initially concerned with aggravated assault committed between December 2023 and December 2025 by a member of the Vars hunting society. But as investigators delved deeper into their inquiry, the list of offences grew longer…

Animal remains kept as trophies

The defendant poached chamois and roe deer outside the hunting season or in breach of established hunting plans. Searches led to the seizure of undeclared weapons and a pick-up truck believed to have been used for poaching trips. The investigations also uncovered a large quantity of animal remains: preserved chamois and deer heads, as well as chamois legs. All these remains should have been sent for rendering.

Is hunting not enough, then? For some, never, even if it means flouting the rules meant to regulate a practice that already has serious consequences for wild animals. Poaching is not a mistake, but a decision: the decision to shoot without regard for seasons, quotas or the fragile balance of natural habitats. The decision to kill without restraint.

Aramis, a dog treated as a target

Even more serious: during one of these illegal outings, the suspect is alleged to have shot a husky dog who was wearing a harness and went by the name of Aramis. What does he represent in this story? A presence deemed undesirable on a territory that some consider as their own?

Violence linked to hunting does not stop at animals classified as ‘game’. It spills over. It also affects walkers’ dogs, stray dogs and cats. Cows, donkeys, horses. Hunting dogs themselves are not spared. All too often, they are treated as mere tools: neglected, abandoned, kept in appalling conditions. We have documented this on numerous occasions: in Ain, in Lot-et-Garonne and elsewhere. Aramis joins this endless list. He serves as a reminder that, in the world of hunting, dogs too pay a heavy price.

On 19 March 2026, the animals will have voices to defend them

This case will be heard on 19 March 2026 at 1.30 pm before the Magistrate’s Court in Gap. One Voice will be there. Because poaching is not merely an offence: it is the very negation of wildlife. It is deciding on one’s own when an animal must die, without any framework or limits.

We had already taken action during the hearing of the poachers from the Cher region. Today, the same question arises: how many more animals must fall before we admit that this violence is not marginal but indicative of a system in need of a fundamental overhaul?

On 19 March 2026 at 1.30 pm, at the Magistrates’ Court in Gap, we will speak out on behalf of the chamois, the red deer, the roe deer and Aramis. Because behind every court case, there are lives shattered. Because poaching and the shooting of dogs or other domestic animals are not isolated incidents. They call for a radical reform of hunting. Let’s demand it: sign our petition.

Court hearing in Gap: poaching and the death of Aramis brought before the courts

Poaching, the death of a husky and illegal weapons: One Voice will be in Gap on 19 March to demand justice

 

Badgers dug up alive: you can say no

Badgers dug up alive: you can say no

Badgers dug up alive: you can say no
10.03.2026
France
Badgers dug up alive: you can say no
Wildlife

Over the coming months, the prefectures will be proposing authorising additional periods for the underground hunting of badgers.

As part of these public consultations, everyone can have their say.

Let’s oppose this cruel and archaic practice.

As part of the public consultations, citizens can submit their comments and proposals electronically. It is essential that we participate in large numbers. For contributions to be properly taken into account, they must be well-reasoned.

Here are four arguments you can use, rephrasing and personalising them as you see fit:

  1. A cruel practice

Underground hunting causes extreme suffering and distress to badgers: burrows are destroyed with shovels, pickaxes or crowbars; animals cornered by dogs are dragged out with metal grippers before being shot or killed with a knife, if they do not die beforehand from stress or dog bites. This practice is carried out solely for the hunters’ amusement.

  1. A non-selective method

Badger burrows are often shared with other species, some of which are protected. Introducing dogs into the burrow tunnels can disturb, injure or kill animals that are not the intended target.

  1. A timing that condemns the young badgers

The supplementary digging-out period takes place when the young are not yet independent. Furthermore, killing a female at this time almost always condemns her young to die in the burrow.

  1. A practice contrary to the law

Article L. 424-10 of the Environmental Code prohibits the killing of mammalian young. The Administrative Court of Appeal in Bordeaux (24 February 2026, No. 24BX00637) recently clarified that a ‘young’ refers specifically to a young animal incapable of living independently without relying on its mother. Yet underground hunting during the supplementary period directly (or indirectly through the death of the mother) exposes young badgers to death.

A fight that remains necessary

Every year, our legal actions prove it: mobilisation is pushing back against barbarism. In 2025, twelve prefectural orders were suspended by the courts, sparing 1,000 badgers from the regions of Aisne through Eure to Haute-Vienne. Despite these advances, and despite the fact that 84% of French people say they are opposed to underground hunting (IPSOS/One Voice poll 2024), the hunting lobby continues to exert pressure.

One Voice remains fully committed and continues to use all available legal means to defend badgers and to speak out on their behalf in the face of hunters’ lies. Your civic engagement remains essential.

Badgers dug up alive: you can say no

Prefectures are set to launch public consultations to authorise the underground hunting of badgers. Oppose it!

Detergents: Europe says no to animal testing

Detergents: Europe says no to animal testing

Detergents: Europe says no to animal testing
10.03.2026
Europe
Detergents: Europe says no to animal testing
Animal testing

Victory! By amending the regulations on detergents for domestic and industrial use, the European Parliament has just taken a historic step. From now on, the use of animal testing is banned for the development of new products in Europe. This major breakthrough is the result of many years of campaigning. We have actively contributed to this alongside the European coalition Cruelty Free Europe, for which we are the representatives in France.

Challenging policy-makers, confronting manufacturers with the reality of their practices, informing the public… For many years, we have been campaigning to end animal testing whether for cosmetics or household products. In 2024 and 2025, One Voice conducted a wide-ranging survey of manufacturers. It highlighted the vague responses and the embarrassment of many industry giants. We have also documented the suffering of the animals used in these experiments, particularly that of rabbits who are the most commonly used animals in tests involving cleaning products.

As part of the European coalition Cruelty Free Europe, One Voice has actively contributed to this advocacy work. This breakthrough proves that animal exploitation is never inevitable.

What the new regulation changes

In practical terms, what does this new regulation entail, and how far does this ban actually go?

  • The amendments to Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 prohibit the use of animal testing for the production of detergents for domestic and industrial use.
  • The ban applies to both ingredients and finished products, ensuring that the development, innovation and regulation of new detergents can take place without resorting to animal testing.
  • This is the first ban on animal testing in European legislation since its abolition for cosmetics in 2013. These new rules will come into force three and a half years after their formal adoption, i.e. in July 2029.

Progress… and gaps

Despite these significant advances, gaps remain. The ban applies only to tests carried out “for the purposes of this Regulation”. In practice, certain molecules used in detergents may still be subject to animal testing under other regulations, such as REACH on chemical substances (paints, textile dyes, food additives, etc.).

Another limitation: unlike the situation for cosmetics, the text does not provide for a ban on the marketing of detergents that have been tested on animals outside the European Union.

A momentum that must still gather pace

There is still a long way to go since the European Union, through Directive 2010/63/EU, enacted the end of animal testing for all its Member States. An ambitious and necessary goal that we are monitoring closely with our European coalitions. Several European countries have already taken action by launching their national plans to end these practices on living beings. In 2023, the European Commission committed to drawing up a roadmap to phase out animal testing in chemical safety assessment. This document, expected in the first quarter of this year, must set out the steps to replace animal testing with modern and reliable scientific methods. It is a follow-up to the European Citizens’ Initiative “Save Cruelty-Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe Without Animal Testing”, launched in 2020 and signed by over 1.2 million citizens of the European Union.

This victory is essential, but it does not mean the fight is over. As long as a single animal can still be used to test our chemicals or medical treatments, we will continue to fight. The end of animal testing is no longer a utopian dream but a path we have embarked upon.

Europe must now set about ending animal testing without exception within its other regulations and encourage Member States that are still lagging behind, such as France. We will ensure this happens.

Detergents: Europe says no to animal testing

The European Parliament bans animal testing for detergents. A historic step forward

 

The hunting season is over, but violence against animals continues

The hunting season is over, but violence against animals continues

The hunting season is over, but violence against animals continues
09.03.2026
France
The hunting season is over, but violence against animals continues
Animaux sauvages

The end of February marks the official close of the hunting season. This date might suggest that wildlife is finally granted a few months’ respite, but that is far from being the case. In the forests, stags, does and roe deer will be hunted until the end of March during driven hunts, whilst wild boar, regarded as vermin, and all birds and mammals classified as ‘species likely to cause damage’ (ESOD), can be killed all year round. This ‘end of season’ curtain call is nothing but a sham.

One might like to believe that after February, wild animals can finally live in peace, without fear of bullets or traps hidden in the undergrowth. But the hunt does not stop at the dawn of spring. From the driven hunts extendeing until the end of March to the early hunts for fallow deer and roe deer, which will resume on 1 June, passing through the sadistic underground hunts for badgers and foxes, or the unjustified and sometimes illegal hunts at the authorities’ initiative, the pressure on wildlife never ceases. Behind the idea of a hunting season ‘confined’ to a specific time frame, a vast system of exemptions allows the persecution to continue throughout the year, well beyond the official calendar.

The hunting season? A fiction!

Because this ‘season’ system is perpetuating a fiction: that of a limited and regulated hunt. In reality, many wild animals, notably wild boar and foxes – listed as ESOD species – can be killed throughout the year for the sole pleasure of hunters. Not to mention the brutality of the practices!

Mutilated animals, acts trivialised and left unpunished

In Haute-Savoie, in the Veigy-Foncenex nature reserve, a fox was found mutilated and hung from a tree, displayed as a macabre warning. In Gironde, at Noaillan, a young stag was discovered with its legs severed, abandoned in a forest. In the Tarn, at Paulinet, a wild boar was dragged for nearly two kilometres behind a vehicle, leaving a long trail of blood on a private track.

 

We continue to denounce these acts which reveal how hunters view animals. Yet they are not illegal and are still too often downplayed and rarely punished.

Far from being isolated incidents, these deadly acts highlight the urgent need to challenge a system which, behind rules and dates that are merely for show, continues to sow death. Together, let’s put an end to this hypocrisy. For the declassification of foxes and for a radical reform of hunting, sign our petitions.

The hunting season is over, but violence against animals continues

The hunting season officially closes at the end of February. But for many wild animals, the hunt never stops.

Circus Muller: Jumbo’s unspeakable suffering, an organised impunity

Circus Muller: Jumbo’s unspeakable suffering, an organised impunity

Circus Muller: Jumbo’s unspeakable suffering, an organised impunity
03.03.2026
France
Circus Muller: Jumbo’s unspeakable suffering, an organised impunity
Exploitation for shows

Since the end of 2025, we have stepped up our efforts on behalf of Jumbo, whose pain has reached an intensity that specialist vets have never observed in their careers. We follow the Muller family’s rogue circus wherever it goes, week after week. At every new location, the same damning reality: violations, suffering animals, and an unwavering sense of impunity. How long will this go on?

Jumbo, a living symbol of blatant and ongoing abuse

At every stop along the Circus Muller’s route, the breaches are there, right before our eyes. The situation remains the same: for nearly forty years, Jumbo, who needs to spend sixteen hours a day submerged in warm water, has been confined to a metal trailer. His joints bear the weight of a three-tonne animal that should weigh only two. Jumbo is suffering, as was confirmed a few weeks ago by a veterinary expert.

A victim of pain with every movement, he is presented to the public without any safety measures, by a person who does not even hold a certificate of competence.

These are not administrative details. These are serious facts. These are breaches of the law, of public safety and, above all, of the welfare of captive animals condemned to suffer day after day. Jumbo, in particular, embodies this institutionalised mistreatment: a wild animal condemned to the tarmac, to solitude, to noise.

Convictions, and yet impunity

The Muller family, who are setting up illegal installations everywhere they go, are no strangers to legal disputes.

Alexandre Muller has already been convicted on multiple occasions for contempt of court, death threats and violence against public officials, resisting arrest and obstructing traffic. Edmond Muller, for his part, has been convicted of physical and psychological abuse committed against animal rights activists who were demonstrating peacefully and lawfully.

But above all, both were convicted in 2020 by the Criminal Court in Valence for “unlawful operation of an establishment housing non-domestic animals; placing or keeping an animal in an environment causing suffering; and using an unsuitable method of confinement likely to cause suffering or injury.”

These facts directly concern the living conditions imposed on Jumbo in the circus. The height of it all? The seizure of the hippopotamus had been ordered prior to the hearing. It failed in the face of violence from the circus staff. And the State, the courts, gave in. Even after the conviction of his captors, Jumbo was left in their care.

The authorities’ silence: what exactly are they protecting?

We know that the circus was inspected by the Lot-et-Garonne prefectural authorities in February. This region is a sanctuary for so many lawless circuses, where so many wild animals languish in trailers, because the authorities are turning a blind eye. For days now, we have been asking for access to the inspection report. We are met with silence. Why refuse to release a report if ‘everything is in order’, as we were told? What does it contain? Why this refusal to be transparent? Who is protecting the Muller family? For what reasons?

When offences are identified, when convictions exist, when animal suffering is so cruelly evident, administrative silence becomes a moral failing.

On behalf of Jumbo and his fellow sufferers, we have lodged a new request.

We refuse to allow fear or complacency to permit a family, convicted on multiple occasions, to continue, generation after generation, the exploitation and torture of captive animals.

Jumbo is neither a number nor an attraction. If he dies in the trailer after enduring continuous pain so intense it is impossible to describe, those responsible will be held to account. We will secure justice for him. But there is still time to get him out of there. Sign our petition.

For Jumbo to be placed in a sanctuary: sign the petition

Circus Muller: Jumbo’s unspeakable suffering, an organised impunity

The Muller family: convictions, offences, complicity of the authorities. How much longer must Jumbo suffer?

Des condamnations, et pourtant l’impunité

La famille Muller, qui multiplie les installations illégales partout où elle passe, n’en est pas à son premier contentieux judiciaire.

Alexandre Muller a déjà été condamné à de multiples reprises pour outrage, menaces de mort et violences sur agents dépositaires de l’autorité publique, rébellion et entrave à la circulation. Edmond Muller a pour sa part été condamné pour violences physiques et morales commises sur des défenseurs des animaux qui manifestaient pacifiquement et légalement.

Mais surtout, tous deux ont été condamnés par le tribunal correctionnel de Valence en 2020 pour « exploitation irrégulière d’un établissement détenant des animaux non domestiques ; placement ou maintien d’un animal dans un environnement cause de souffrance ; utilisation d’un mode de détention inadapté pouvant être cause de souffrance ou de blessure. »

Ces faits concernent directement les conditions de vie imposées à Jumbo dans le cirque. Le comble ? La saisie de l’hippopotame avait été ordonnée avant l’audience. Elle a échoué face à la violence des circassiens. Et l’État, la justice ont plié. Même après la condamnation de ses geôliers, Jumbo leur a été laissé.

Le silence des autorités : que protège-t-on exactement ?

Nous savons que le cirque a été contrôlé par les services préfectoraux du Lot-et-Garonne courant février. Ce département sanctuaire pour tant de cirques hors-la-loi, où tant de fauves croupissent dans des remorques parce que les autorités ferment les yeux. Depuis des jours, nous demandons l’accès au rapport d’inspection. Nous nous heurtons au silence. Pourquoi refuser de transmettre un rapport si « tout est conforme », comme cela nous a été indiqué ? Que contient-il ? Pourquoi ce refus de transparence ? Qui protège la famille Muller ? Pour quelles raisons ?

Lorsque des infractions sont constatées, lorsque des condamnations existent, lorsque la souffrance animale est aussi cruellement visible, le silence administratif devient une faute morale.

 

Pour Jumbo et ses compagnons de misère, nous avons déposé une nouvelle plainte.

Nous refusons que la peur ou la complaisance permettent à une famille condamnée à de multiples reprises de poursuivre, génération après génération, l’exploitation et la torture d’animaux captifs.

Jumbo n’est ni un numéro une attraction. S’il meurt dans la remorque, après avoir enduré des douleurs continues et impossibles à décrire tant elles sont intenses, les responsables devront en répondre. Nous obtiendrons justice pour lui. Mais il est encore temps de le sortir de là. Signez notre pétition.

Pour le placement de Jumbo dans un sanctuaire : signez la pétition Pour le placement de Jumbo dans un sanctuaire : signez la pétition Pour le placement de Jumbo dans un sanctuaire : signez la pétition Pour le placement de Jumbo dans un sanctuaire : signez la pétition Pour le placement de Jumbo dans un sanctuaire : signez la pétition Pour le placement de Jumbo dans un sanctuaire : signez la pétition Pour le placement de Jumbo dans un sanctuaire : signez la pétition Pour le placement de Jumbo dans un sanctuaire : signez la pétition Pour le placement de Jumbo dans un sanctuaire : signez la pétition Pour le placement de Jumbo dans un sanctuaire : signez la pétition

Victory in the Council of State: Hunting of rock ptarmigan finally suspended!

Victory in the Council of State: Hunting of rock ptarmigan finally suspended!

Victory in the Council of State: Hunting of rock ptarmigan finally suspended!
02.03.2026
France
Victory in the Council of State: Hunting of rock ptarmigan finally suspended!
Wildlife

Every year, the French government authorises the hunting of rock ptarmigan, a bird species that is in decline and seriously threatened by climate change. In 2024, the Ecological Committee of the Ariège region (CEA), the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) and One Voice asked the Ministry of Ecological Transition for a moratorium on hunting to save these galliformes. Faced with the Ministry’s implicit refusal, the associations appealed to the Council of State. Its decision, handed down on 2 March 2026, ruled in favour of our associations and ordered the government to suspend hunting for five years.

An increasingly rare and endangered species

Found mainly in the Arctic and boreal regions of Northern Europe, rock ptarmigans now only survive in the Alps and Pyrenees in small isolated groups, separated from their main habitat since the end of the last ice age. Perfectly adapted to the cold, these mountain galliformes live at altitudes between 1,800 and 3,000 metres and can withstand temperatures as low as -35°C!

Climate change poses an existential threat to these inhabitants of the peaks, exacerbated by the disturbance caused by human activities in the high mountains (overcrowding, construction of new infrastructure, etc.). Included on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the species is experiencing an alarming decline: since the mid-20th century, the number of municipalities where it is present has fallen by 33% in the Alps and 21% in the Pyrenees.

Despite this extremely unfavourable context, France stubbornly continues to authorise the hunting of rock ptarmigans every year, thereby adding further unjustified pressure on this fragile species.

Five years of respite for rock ptarmigans: a legal victory for our associations

For years, associations have been fighting to put an end to these unacceptable deaths, which are incompatible with the survival of these birds in our mountains, systematically challenging the annual authorisations in court – and successfully so. In the Ariège region alone, nearly 20 successive court decisions have overturned or suspended hunting orders.

Faced with the Ministry’s refusal to act, the Council of State ruled and upheld the law!

According to Thierry de Noblens (CEA), « This decision by the highest court is a real satisfaction. A big thank you to our Federation’s lawyer, Hervé Hourcade. Previously, we saw how hard the State services and the Ministry itself have worked over the last two decades to keep rock ptarmigan hunting going to please a few hunters… while giving lots of media coverage to fine speeches about preserving biodiversity. »

According to Allain Bougrain Dubourg (LPO), ‘Once again, the law, through the voice of the Council of State, has spoken out in favour of biodiversity. It thus offers some respite to this endangered species. We now expect the Ministry to take measures for all endangered species that are still hunted in our country.’

According to Muriel Arnal (One Voice), « Every year, we have had to tirelessly take legal action to defend these magnificent, fragile birds against prefectures that handed them over to hunters and their thirst for killing. This strong decision by the Council of State gives them a real respite. And we can only dream that the Ministry responsible for Nature will finally protect all mountain galliformes… « 

Feline straying: download our educational tools!

Feline straying: download our educational tools!

Errance féline : téléchargez nos outils pédagogiques !
27.02.2026
France
Feline straying: download our educational tools!
Domestic animals

One Voice has developed specialised educational tools to support local councils and raise awareness among the general public, including young people, about the issue of stray cats and their needs.

Please feel free to contact us at info@one-voice.fr to receive some of these resources in paper
format!

Our resources for children:

Board game: the life of a stray cat – A3 Board game rules
Posters: ‘The needs of cats’ – A3
Booklet ‘Meeting street cats’

Our resources for the general public:

Educational trail ‘feline straying’ – A2
Quiz
Leaflet ‘Cats without families’
Video: Feline straying: explanation in 1’30
Leaflet Cat Companionship
Cat sentience fact sheet
Report ‘Feline straying in France’

Our resources for municipalities

Poster for sterilisation – A3
Booklet ‘Sterilisation, to eradicate feline straying and its consequences’
Chatipi presentation

Nos ressources pour les enfants :

Jeu de plateau : la vie d’un chat errant – A3 Règles du jeu de plateau Affiches : “Les besoins des chats” – A3 Livret “à la rencontre des chats des rues”

Nos ressources pour le grand public :

Parcours pédagogique “errance féline” – A2 Quizz Tract “chats sans famille” Vidéo : L’errance des chats : explication en 1’30 Tract Compagnonnage Chat Fiche sentience chat Rapport ” chats errants en France”

Nos ressources pour les Mairies

Affiche pour la stérilisation – A3 Livret “La stérilisation, pour éradiquer l’errance féline et ses conséquences” Présentation Chatipi

The Primatology Centre in Rousset: tripling the number of cages, ignoring warnings… The CNRS pushes ahead

The Primatology Centre in Rousset: tripling the number of cages, ignoring warnings… The CNRS pushes ahead

The Primatology Centre in Rousset: tripling the number of cages, ignoring warnings… The CNRS pushes ahead
27.02.2026
Rousset, Bouches-du-Rhône Centre de primatologie de Rousset: tripler le cages, ignorer les alertes… Le CNRS passe en force
Animal testing

French citizens say ‘no’. MEPs call on France to change course. Scientists themselves are expressing doubts and opposing views. Despite this widespread opposition and as a growing number of countries commit to phasing out animal experimentation, the CNRS remains stubborn and intends to spend €80 million of public money to expand the Primatology Centre in Rousset, tripling the number of primates destined for laboratories. This is a dogmatic choice that runs counter to history, animal rights and European guidelines. Faced with this denial of democracy, we are calling on the candidates for the municipal council in Rousset. They cannot remain silent.

The project’s supporters may well invoke ‘scientific sovereignty’, but their justifications remain flawed, and our arguments stubborn. The plan for the Primatology Centre in Rousset involves expanding the facility to raise 1,800 animals instead of the current 600, for the purpose of selling them to laboratories. In short, under the guise of ‘fundamental research’, the aim is to perpetuate an industry designed to produce and commercialise sentient beings, an industry built on the backs of primates.

Mobilised for months against this anachronistic project, we have alerted elected officials, the media and the public, revealing in particular the suffering of the primates locked up in the cages in Rousset, and their sad fate. Fragments of sacrificed lives emerge from documents obtained in court last November against the CNRS and the University of Aix-Marseille.

The protest has spread from ordinary citizens to MEPs. It has only grown over the months, with doubts about the relevance of this project even winning over scientists. On 27 January, the COMETS, an independent ethics committee, issued a reserved opinion, calling for a ‘scientific and contradictory expertise’. The guarantor of the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP) also highlighted the scale of the opposition and recommended ongoing consultation and justification of the ethical issues at stake.

But who cares! In a 33-page document published recently, the CNRS dismisses the criticism and recommendations out of hand, presenting what is more like a reworked version of their arguments, glossing over their absurdities. We have analysed it, and here are some excerpts. On the menu: lies, approximations, contradictions and, once again, grey areas.

The reassuring goal of animal ‘welfare’: a facade

On the highly questioned and doubted subject of animal welfare, the project’s defenders claim to want to exceed the regulatory standards set by the ministerial decree of 1 February 2013. Natural light, cage size, outdoor access, health monitoring… Point by point, our analysis demonstrates the gap between this façade and the (regulatory) reality.

Based on these announcements, they even claim to be proposing a framework ‘that goes beyond simple biological requirements’.

How can a few square metres of concrete and wire mesh and kibble in a tube be better than forests and freedom?

S’appuyant sur ces annonces, ils estiment même proposer un cadre « qui dépasse les simples exigences biologiques ».
Comment quelques mètres carrés de béton grillagé et des croquettes dans un tube peuvent-ils valoir mieux que des forêts et la liberté ? 

Le CNRS va jusqu’à oser prétendre que ce projet « devient ainsi un instrument de progrès, non seulement pour la science, mais aussi pour les standards de bientraitance animale ».

Débouchés économiques : des contradictions manifestes

Sur les débouchés économiques, le flou demeure. « Tout projet à visée commerciale est exclu », écrit le CNRS, tout en prévoyant un « accès limité aux acteurs privés ». Exclu ou limité ? La question se pose. Et quid alors des recherches qui expérimentent des traitements ? Seront-elles mises gratuitement à la disposition des patients ? On peut en douter.

Concertation : vous pouvez circulez !

Quant à la recommandation d’une concertation continue, elle est rejetée au motif qu’elle « prolongerait un débat de principe ». En clair, circulez, il n’y a rien à discuter.

Ce document censé répondre à la concertation initiée par le CNRS lui-même relève une fois encore de l’opération de communication plutôt que de la transparence et de la remise en question. Aucun engagement clair sur la nécessaire réduction de l’expérimentation sur les primates demandée par la directive européenne 2010/63/UE.

Face à cette mascarade, nous avons envoyé un courrier aux candidats de la mairie de Rousset. Il appartiendra au futur édile de délivrer ou non le permis de construire nécessaire à cette extension et d’en assumer les conséquences politiques. La presse locale a été informée de cette démarche.

Le combat reste long, chaque action compte. Nous ne cédons rien.
Partagez votre opposition à ce projet en signant notre pétition, et restez informé(e)s pour participer à la prochaine action nationale contre le projet prévue en avril prochain.

Feline straying: challenge your candidates!

Feline straying: challenge your candidates!

Feline straying: challenge your candidates!
25.02.2026
France
Feline straying: challenge your candidates!
Domestic animals

In France, nearly 11 million homeless cats survive as best they can in the dark cornersof our towns and villages. Cold, hunger, disease, malice: their daily life is a constant struggle against these evils. Yet this misery is not inevitable: solutions exist. What is needed is the political will to implement them.

What the law says

The management of stray cats is the responsibility of mayors. Your future elected representatives have the power and the duty to act! Municipal elections are a decisive moment.

A charter to be signed to challenge your candidates:

You can demand concrete commitments to a sustainable and ethical policy and thus in the fight against feline straying. One Voice has prepared a charter explaining the issues and detailing the measures to be taken by municipalities for real action against feline straying. Between now and the mid-March elections, ask your candidates to sign the charter, and send us the signatures you collect!

A clear commitment in five measures:

1. Set up or actively support sterilisation campaigns, in conjunction with local associations and veterinarians.
2. Create and maintain living spaces for sterilised cats that have been released and left free, in particular through appropriate measures such as Chatipi.
3. Conduct awareness-raising campaigns among the population, as feline straying is the result of abandonment and lack of sterilisation.
4. Deploy educational tools to teach children from an early age the values of
responsibility, respect for animals and harmonious cohabitation.
5. Support the mandatory neutering of all cats from 6 months of age at national
level, with penalties for non-compliance (except for cats registered in the Official Cat Breed Registry and without outdoor access) in order to tackle the root of the problem.

Chatipi: more than a shelter, a place to live

For years, One Voice has been working to combat feline straying and supporting local authorities willing to take action. Pending a national emergency plan, the Chatipi scheme creates spaces for sterilised stray cats: safe places where they can be protected, fed and receive health care, while raising public awareness of their plight. More than sixty partnerships already exist throughout France.

Saturday 14 March 2026: a national mobilisation

To alert and raise awareness about feline straying, One Voice is organising a coordinated
campaign in several cities across France on Saturday 14 March 2026.

Cats without families dont it have a vote. But you do!

Send the charter of commitment to your candidates! No, the street is not freedom. Contrary to popular belief, the life of a stray cat is neither free nor happy. It is precarious, violent and often short. To do nothing is to condone suffering.

Download our educational tools. Take part in the national campaign. Discover our Chatipis

Feline straying: challenge your candidates!

Solutions exist to combat feline straying,

Envoyez la charte d’engagement à vos candidat.e.s !

Non, la rue n’est pas la liberté. Contrairement aux idées reçues, la vie d’un chat errant n’est ni libre ni heureuse. Elle est précaire, violente et souvent brève. Laisser faire, c’est cautionner la souffrance. Téléchargez nos outils pédagogiques Participez à l’action nationale Découvrez nos Chatipis