In Saint-Herblain, puppy shows trample over the legal reflection period prior to adoption
On 26 February, our Loire-Atlantique branch raised public awareness among those who came to the Saint-Herblain puppy show. We again observed the treatment that this type of event reserves for animals, who are seen simply as goods here.A reality which is unchanged by the certificate of commitment and knowledge implemented in October 2022 following the law against animal mistreatment.
Animals reduced to objects
The footage filmed by our activists at the Saint-Herblain puppy show does not lie. Penned in in threes or fours, or more, in minuscule enclosures, the puppies are lying down, unmoving or very restless, filling the space with their barking. They are subjected to stress, noise, and the passage of numerous visitors all day. Some are only just two months old, but all of them are here to be sold to the first ‘impulse buyer’, as if they are just adorable cuddly toys.
Behind the presence of all these young animals, we perceive the exploitation of female cats and dogs forced to constantly ‘produce’ more young to feed a lucrative trade. It is at the point, as a breeder reports, where some give birth again when they have not even finished feeding their last litter.
Nothing other than another unenforceable measure to protect cats and dogs…
Intended to fight against impulse buying, the commitment and knowledge certificate included in the law against animal mistreatment should be applied from 1 October 2022. But once again, we have shown that the reflection period of seven days imposed between it being signed and the adoption is not being followed. Met as they were about to return home with a puppy in their arms, a couple confirmed to one of our activists that they had in fact signed a document… provided on-site and filled in with an earlier date. So, the decision to take on an animal for a number of years had been considered for… five minutes.
A behaviourist, having gone to meet the breeders present in Saint-Herblain and met by our activists, was offended by this situation:
«They have no way of verifying the seven-day period. People can download a certificate on the Internet, sign it, date it in the past, and then it’s fine, ok, I am adopting. It was a question I had when I came to this show: how is it going with this law that was passed last year? And then obviously, a good year, a bad year, the rules are bent a little, there are no regulations.»
…and purely symbolic sanctions.
But how can it be any other way when there is no way of externally controlling set out in the law? Can breeders be expected to guarantee that the reflection period is applied when it is in their interest to sell as many individuals as possible? When we know that in the event of a breach they only risk a fine of 450 euros for a puppy that is sold for between 1500 and 2000 euros, we can understand that the notorious certificate is nothing but another gimmick.
We have been condemning pet shops forever and all events that feed the spiral of abandonment and straying. As they already did in Antibes last February, our activists are rallying to raise awareness among visitors, inviting them to turn to a shelter where many animals are waiting to find a family.
To put an end to this situation, sign our petition for better legal protection for our canine and feline companions. And together let’s also demand that an urgent plan against feline straying is finally implemented.
Translated from the French by Joely Justice