What to do if you feel an animal is being neglected or abused

(reviewed and updated Jan 2026)

STOP PRESS: You can now report a case of abuse or mistreatment online (which allows confidential and anonymous reporting to police or gendarmerie):

 https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/contact/signaler-maltraitance-animale

What is the law in France?

French law recognises animals as “sensitive beings” and requires that owners keep them in conditions compatible with their biological needs.

The law stipulates that:

  • The owner must allow the animal access to appropriate food of a sufficiency to ensure the animal is kept in good health.
  • The owner must allow the animal access to clean water in an appropriate, clean receptacle that is kept free from ice in winter
  • In case of injury or sickness, the owner is responsible for ensuring appropriate care.
  • The animal must not be enclosed in a space that has no fresh air, is dark, insufficiently heated or inappropriate for their physiological needs.

A note on living space

What constitutes an appropriate living space for an animal is not what many of us would imagine. For example, a dog who lives outside permanently with access to a three-sided kennel, appropriate bedding and continuous access to water and food is not neglected as long as their other needs outlined above are met.

Heating is not generally needed unless temperatures are very low.

However, leaving an animal in conditions it cannot tolerate can constitute ill‑treatment.

it is important to stress that “not neglected” does not mean “ideal”, only that the minimum legal threshold is met.

Vehicles

Leaving an animal in a closed vehicle in conditions that may cause suffering (heat, lack of air, risk of heatstroke) can qualify as ill‑treatment or even an offence against the animal’s life or integrity.

In an emergency (animal locked in a hot car, in direct sun, clearly in distress), the public is urged to call the emergency number 17 so that police or gendarmerie can intervene immediately.

Laws on keeping animals tethered

Using confinement or equipment that is inappropriate or likely to cause suffering (including certain restraints) is explicitly prohibited.

  • Any animal kept tethered must have a collar and tether that are appropriate to its size and force. A chain in itself cannot be used as a collar.
  • The tether mustn’t be too heavy.
  • The tether mustn’t interfere with the general movement of the dog (other than to prevent it from moving further than the distance of the tether, of course).
  • The tether must be at least 2.5m if attached to a horizontal cable, or be at least 3m if fixed to a permanent position.
  • Choke chains, prong collars and slip collars are not permitted in these circumstances.

What to do if you feel the law is being broken

  • Try to talk with the person if you feel it is not putting you in danger. Never go alone, but don’t go as an angry group either. For the 80% of ignorant/malicious people you might meet, 20% need help but are too proud or incapable of asking, and many people are unaware of minimum standards.
  • If you cannot talk to the person, or talking is unsuccessful, collect evidence and speak to the mairie and/or the gendarmerie, OR use the online form to report: https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/contact/signaler-maltraitance-animale which allows confidential and anonymous reporting to police or gendarmerie.
  • In an emergency or ongoing situation where the animal’s life is in immediate danger: call 17 (police or gendarmerie) straight away so they can intervene.
  • If the mairie or gendarmes are unhelpful or unwilling to act, contact the Société Protectrice des Animaux (SPA)
  • Contact the veterinary services of the Direction Départementale de la Protection des Populations (DDPP), which have authority to inspect and act on animal welfare issues.

Evidence required for the mairie/gendarmerie

Collect clear, factual evidence

  • Dates and times, full details of the animals you have seen, including number, size and location.
  • Photos if possible (clear ones will definitely help) or video footage.
  • A description based on the law outlined above of what conditions are not being met or how the animal is being harmed.

Useful links

  • To report online: https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/contact/signaler-maltraitance-animale(official national reporting system:which allows confidential and anonymous reporting to police or gendarmerie.)
  • 30 Million D’Amis:The national animal rescue organisation 30 Million D’Amis has a legal team you can contact by downloading their app and sending a request.
  • Société Protectrice des Animaux (SPA):Report abuse or neglect directly on their website here.
  • Les Amis des Animaux: If you cannot get help from the Gendarmes, Mairie, 30 Million D’Amis or the SPA, contact us here and we will help you find a local organisation who can intervene.

Penalties and legal qualification

Nneglect and abuse are not just moral issues; they are criminal offences in France.

  • Ill‑treatment of domestic animals or tamed or captive wild animals is prohibited and punishable under the Penal Code.
  • Acts such as abandonment, serious cruelty or repeated abuse can lead to substantial fines and imprisonment (for example, up to tens of thousands of euros and several years in prison in the most serious cases), along with possible bans on owning animals and confiscation of the animal.

A short story and food for thought

A few years ago, one of our French volunteers went with an animal welfare inspector from another association to check on a reported situation on a very rural, isolated and filthy, decrepit farm. All this had been correctly organised.

First the farmer threatened to shoot the two ‘do-gooders’. After a while a conversation began and he could not see anything wrong with his set-up. He himself was living in utmost poverty and was probably also in need of help. The dog who we had been called out to investigate had a recent leg amputation and kept licking the stump. This resulted in a wound that needed treating which had prompted some neighbours to call in the inspector.

As conversation developed, it transpired that the dog did not, in fact, need removing. Although she would have enjoyed a better life elsewhere, apart from needing medication, her basic needs were being met. The man had made a pledge to his best friend who had died 5 years prior that he would take care of her and would never let her go.

The man’s vet was called, meds were discussed and as our volunteer was leaving, he called her back and said: “Here you can have that one – she’s no good with cows – no use whatsoever” pointing at a young border collie cross sleeping on the front doorstep. Then he added: “But you can only have her only when you bring back the medication.”

And so, we organised the medication and hurriedly found somewhere for the collie to go into foster. It was only when lifting the collie into the car that we discovered she was in whelp!

Was it an ideal happy ending? Far from it – but as the farmer was in compliance with the laws outlined above, we couldn’t remove the dog. We had to be content with saving the border collie and her puppies.