There seems to be no shortage of vets in France. Find one by looking in the pages jaunes (yellow pages) for vétérinaires practiciens, or by spotting a shop sign with a large blue cross on it.
Rabies has been stamped out in France; no-one has contracted the disease in France since 1924. Much more worrying for dog-owners is leishmaniose (leishmaniasis), which is prevalent in southern France and all around the Mediterranean Basin. This is a virus carried by sand flies during hot weather, it is not curable and it can be fatal. Treatments to manage the disease can be expensive and are not licensed in the UK. Furthermore, in rare cases, the disease can be transmitted to humans. So prevention is vital. Your local French vet can advise and if necessary, sell you a preventative collar for around €12. (You can also buy these in pharmacies. As tests have not been finished, they are not marked as preventing leishmaniasis on the packet, but be assured that they are effective.)
The same precautions, plus rigorous anti-tick treatment, should also protect you from a handful of other French nasties that don’t exist in the UK including babesiosis and ehrlichiosis. You also might consider pills against dirofilariasis (heartworm). But remember, the prevalence of these diseases varies around France, so get local advice before you take action.
You might also want to consider a cocktail of other annual shots for kennel cough, hard pad, hepatitis, etc, and again your vet will tell you what is necessary in your area.
Although you are not legally required to have your dog tattooed or chipped in France, if the police find an untattooed dog roaming the streets, they are allowed to have it put down and if there was ever a rabies case in your area, unidentified animals would be rounded up and put down without question. (People illegally importing animals into France cause occasional outbreaks.)
Also, dogs in France have to be tattooed and/or microchipped in order to be transferred from one owner to another. Your vet can do this for around €40 and this includes registration of the ID number on a national database in Paris maintained by the Société Centrale Canine, who will also issue a carte d’identification. This document lasts the whole dog’s life and forms the legal identification part of your dog’s pet passport.
The vet will also give you a carnet de santé et de vaccination, which records all vaccinations, accidents, illnesses and treatments. This booklet constitutes legal proof that your dog has been vaccinated against rabies, and for travel around the EU (except the UK, Ireland and Sweden), completes your pet passport.
The French attitude to dogs is slightly schizophrenic. You can see the most absurdly over-indulged lapdogs in Paris, their exquisitely coifed heads sticking out of shoulder bags as their owners tote them around town. You see little dogs sitting on chairs in restaurants, and waiters bringing water for them in bars and cafes. It’s not uncommon to spot them harnessed into the child seat of a supermarket trolley either, and I even know a lady whose poodle has pierced ears and gold studs to match its jewelled collar.
Yet many men in the countryside keep their hunting dogs caged outside all year round, train them using the most brutal methods and leave them on the verge of starvation in order to ‘keep them keen’.
There are however, lots of animal charities in France. The largest is probably the Société Protectrice des Animaux (La SPA). Founded 150 years ago, it runs 58 kennels accommodating 45,000 dogs a year, and has 12 free dispensaries treating 80,000 animals per year.
Most other charities are smaller and more locally based, often run by local vets. Local vets often also deal with re-homing and rescuing, so if you want a dog the vet should be your first port of call.
When it comes to cats, the same rules about passports and identification apply as for dogs. French villages however abound with stray cats and there seems to be a tendency to assume that they can take care of themselves.
If you’re looking for a pet mouse, hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, fish or bird, you can often buy them at DIY superstores and prices start at around €6 for a dwarf hamster. Sadly, however, there aren’t any specific veterinary remedies for these animals, so in extremis the best most vets can do is humane euthanasia.
Most country vets are also experienced with larger animals like horses but it’s best to ask around as not all vets treat them. It’s one of the less palatable facts of life in France that because horsemeat is still sold for human consumption, there are very few specific medicines available for them. Still, vets are very skilled at treating infestations, easing difficult births and dealing with other common problems. The same goes for farm animals such as goats and sheep.
With avian flu still lurking on the horizon, the rules about keeping poultry and other birds outside are liable to change at short notice and different departments have introduced different bylaws. For up to date information about the rules in your area however, it is best to consult either the local mairie or your local vet.
You can take your pets (cats, dogs, ferrets, etc) to France under DEFRA's Pet Travel Scheme. This essentially requires that your pets be positively identified and vaccinated against rabies. The rules change from time to time, so check with DEFRA before you travel.
Also, France has laws banning various dangerous dogs although some are allowed in if they have a pedigree. But crosses appearing to be Staffordshire terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, Mastiff and Tosas will not be allowed in. However, if your dog is a pedigree of these breeds, you will be able to take it with you to France. But obviously in this instance you'll need the pedigree paperwork. There are also additional conditions such as registering the dog with the town council, keeping the dog on a lead and muzzled in public places and having the appropriate insurance against third party injury. If your dog bites someone, even if the injuries are minor, you may well find yourself in court and the dog may be put down. For full information on this subject, see the DEFRA website as below.
Some airlines (not the low cost ones) accept animals as cargo. They can also travel in cars through the Eurotunnel, or if they are registered assistance dogs in the EuroStar trains. Otherwise, they can cross the Channel by ferry but must remain alone in the car on the car deck.
Any travel plans must be checked with the carriers before you set off. It also might be advisable to consult your vet about the possibility of light sedation during the voyage.
To Leave the UK
Your pet must first be tattooed or micro-chipped, and it then must have been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days but not more than a year prior to travel. The vaccination must be repeated annually.
To Enter the UK
The animal must be micro-chipped (tattoos are not acceptable).
It must have been vaccinated against rabies.
A minimum of 30 days after the first vaccination (it is not necessay after repeat vaccinations), a blood sample from the animal must have passed testing (by a specially licenced laboratory)
The blood test must have been taken from the animal at least 6 months before the animal enters the UK.
Between 24 and 48 hours before the animal enters the UK it must have been treated against ticks and tapeworm by a vet.
It is important to get all these details right because the officials in charge of checking animals entering the UK are extremely meticulous and do not ever overlook even one tiny thing. Get the vet who treats your pet for tapeworm to check the position of the microchip, and ensure that it is still readable.
For more information see http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/Importation-of-animals-into-France.html?var_recherche=dogs
Also have a look at http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm
TIPS
Note down telephone numbers of local vets and keep a copy by the phone. It may also be worth programming them into your mobile. In a panic, the last thing you need to do is search for numbers in the “pages jaunes”.
If you get stuck for vocabulary, try a little formal English. For example use the word “treatment” rather than “some pills” and “vaccination” rather than “jab”. Most vets speak at least some English, because not all veterinary reference books are translated into French.
Fact file
Société Centrale Canine
155 Av Jean-Jaurès
93535 Aubervilliers Cedex
Tel: 00 33 (0)1 49 37 54 54
www.scc.asso.fr
La SPA (Société Protectrice des Animaux)
39 Boulevard Berthier
75847 Paris Cedex 17
Tel: 00 33 (0)1 43 80 40 66
www.spa.asso.fr
www.protection-des-animaux.org
This website has links to all sorts of local animal charities including information on adopting a dog, petitioning against bull-fights and saving ferrets
www.pagesjaunes.fr
French telephone directories and Yellow Pages online
www.leishmaniasis.info
Comprehensive English-language site with full details about the disease
www.30millionsdamis.fr
Huge francophone site linked to TV programme on France 2. Includes animals to adopt, animal rights campaigns and trivia
Disclaimer
This dossier article is intended as a general guide only. For specific information relative to your own situation, please use the contact details in the factfile. The information given here was correct at the time of publication. However, if you notice a gremlin causing typos or any other inaccuracies, do please let us know.
Updates
This article was last updated 15 September 2007