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Are the French really ‘world champions' for abandoning pets?

Six in 10 French people own at least one pet, according to a 2025 survey by petfood supplier association Fédération des Fabricants d'Aliments pour Chiens, Chats, Oiseaux et autres animaux familiers (Facco). The annual study of pet-ownership estimated that, in total, the French own some 79 million pets, up from 74 million in 2024 – about 16.6 million of them are cats, and 9.9 million dogs, according to the government. About 53 percent of the population in France own a cat and/or a dog, down from 55 percent in 2024. It should be easy to argue, then, that France is a nation of pet lovers. But there's a darker side to the numbers that always comes to light in the summer. A French parliamentary report in June 2020 revealed that, each year, owners give up their pets in ever greater numbers. It is estimated that more than 100,000 cats and dogs are dumped by their owners every year, with 60 percent of abandonment occurring during the summer as the French head off on holiday. Advertisement That figure prompted then-agriculture minister Julien Denormandie in 2021 to brand the French 'world champions at abandoning pets'. In comparison, British animal rescue charity the RSPCA reported about 22,500 cases of animal abandonment in 2024, a trend it said may be least partly linked to the cost of veterinary care. The cost of care is considered a reason for pet abandonment in France, too, with the high price of treatment prompting families to give up pets that have grown old or become unwell. Animal health insurance exists in France, but is not always taken up by new owners, who have not considered possible, even likely, future expense. As for holiday abandonment, over the summer, owners may discover that holiday venues charge extra for animals, or even ban them altogether. This might explain why frightened dogs may be found near motorway service stations or beach resorts, as families discover they cannot take their pets with them on holiday and have not budgeted to take them to kennels. Unwanted pet births are a major contributor to abandonment and stray animals – defined as pets that have got loose and disappeared rather than ones that have deliberately dumped. Sterilising a pet is a simple surgical procedure that can be performed early on by a veterinarian, but the cost – though it is often subsidised – may be off-putting for less well-off owners. In recent years, the government has taken several measures in an effort to cut the number of abandoned pets – this summer's #StopAbandon campaign is just the latest of them. Abandoning an animal in punishable by a fine of up to €45,000. The Observatoire de la protection des Carnivores Domestiques (OCAD) was set up in May 2021 with the mission to understand, monitor and evaluate the situation of dogs, cats and ferrets in France to improve the development of public policies on animal protection. Advertisement A law passed in November that year introduced a 'certificate of commitment' and better supervision of online ads in order to put an end to impulse purchases of pets, notably cats, dogs and horses. Would-be owners now have to sign a 'certificate of commitment and knowledge', before they can adopt or buy any animal. This certificate specifies the needs of the animal and commits the new owners to respect them. It also introduced a seven-day 'cooling-off' period before the owner can take possession of the animal, to avoid impulse pet purchases – previously described as a common reason for later abandonment, along with parents buying pets for children, who lose interest in caring for them. READ ALSO : EXPLAINED: The ways you can adopt a pet in France✎ A foster contract was also created for foster families who take care of a pet for a short period. This contract includes information on 'the physiological, behavioural and medical needs of the entrusted animal', as well contact details of the owners and the duration of the placement. And yet the summer awareness campaigns continue. 🐶 #StopAbandon | Chaque année, des milliers d'animaux de compagnie sont abandonnés par leurs propriétaires. ❌ Cette action est punie par la loi et passible de 45 000 € d'amende et de 3 ans d'emprisonnement. — Ministère de l'Intérieur (@Interieur_Gouv) July 19, 2025