The Local France

Rival demos in southwest France over killing of bear

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 10:40:06 +0200

Protesters staged rival demonstrations Saturday in the southwest of France over the killing of a brown bear in the Pyrenees mountains last month.

Halal meat sold in France can’t be called organic, EU rules

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 11:06:18 +0100

Halal meat from animals slaughtered by religious ritual without having first been stunned cannot be labelled organic, on animal welfare grounds, a top European Union court ruled Tuesday.

Half-starved lion cub abandoned in Paris flat finds new home

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 19:03:56 +0200

An emaciated lion cub rescued from a gritty Paris suburb has found a new home in an altogether more appropriate location.

France destroys over 500 kilos of ivory

Thu, 31 May 2018 10:49:48 +0200

Authorities in the southern French city of Nice on Wednesday destroyed more than 500 kilogrammes of ivory as part of the international campaign to end elephant poaching, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) announced.

Brigitte Bardot slams Macron on animal rights

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 10:28:34 +0100

French screen icon Brigitte Bardot will next month publish a book on her decades-long campaign for animal rights, she told AFP, taking a swipe at President Emmanuel Macron on the issue.

French hotline for attacks on fur wearers leaves animals rights groups furious

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 13:42:28 +0100

The French fur industry and animals rights activists have clashed over a new hotline for people who are insulted or attacked in the street for wearing fur.

France under pressure to ban circus animals after killing of tiger in Paris

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 13:58:46 +0100

A sad incident which saw an escaped tiger shot dead by its owner in Paris has reignited the row over whether circuses in France should be allowed to use wild animals.

Teddy bears with real animal fur cause outrage in France

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 18:09:44 +0100

A French company has come under fire for making teddy bears with real animal fur.

France to probe all abattoirs after shocking new video

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 18:13:14 +0200

Authorities will inspect all of France's abattoirs after yet another gruesome animal abuse video was released on Tuesday. Warning: The video may shock readers.

Shock video of French abattoir prompts closure

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 11:33:02 +0200

The mayor of a town in southern France has closed the local abattoir after video footage emerged showing the horrific and illegal way the animals were treated inside. Warning: The video may shock readers.

Uproar as activists 'steal' puppy from Paris beggar

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 13:00:21 +0200

A video showing animal rights activists forcibly taking a dog off a visibly distraught homeless man in Paris has caused outrage in France.

Animals have feelings, French parliament rules

Thu, 29 Jan 2015 09:36:00 +0100

There was a significant victory for animal rights capaigners in France on Wednesday when the country's parliament officially recognised animals as "living, sentient beings" rather than just pieces of "furniture".

Dog owner throws pooch from third floor window

Thu, 13 Feb 2014 16:16:00 +0100

Yet another case of animal cruelty made headlines in France this week. Just weeks after a cat chucker was jailed a dog owner was also handed a prison sentence for throwing his pooch from his third floor window, along with the rest of his belongings.

Police smash squalid illegal abattoir near Paris

Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:36:00 +0100

Some 200 animals were rescued on Sunday from a squalid, unlicensed abattoir outside Paris. The animals, left without food or water, were destined for Chinese restaurants throughout the region, and were about to be slaughtered, according to reports on Monday.

Air France slammed for transporting lab monkeys

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 19:25:00 +0200

Air France was forced on Tuesday to defend its practice of flying live animals for lab testing, after US-based animal rights group PETA vowed to continue its campaign to stop the French airline from transporting primates.

Brigitte Bardot fires off first tweet in anger

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 18:24:00 +0200

France’s most famous former sex symbol Brigitte Bardot joined Twitter for the first time on Monday at the grand old age of 78, and she's not a happy tweeter. After setting up her account she fired off her first angry message in the direction of a French newspaper.

Dog owner hangs pooch for biting his daughter

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 12:22:00 +0200

A dog owner appeared before a court in a Paris suburb this week for hanging his pet pedigree "Pollux" in his garage. The man said he killed the dog "in a panic" after it bit his daughter.

'Bullfighting is a French ritual - leave us in peace'

Mon, 26 Aug 2013 20:00:00 +0200

After a protest against bullfighting in south-western France left a man in a coma over the weekend, The Local asks two key figures from either side of the argument whether the tradition should be protected or eradicated from French life.

Brigitte Bardot supports renegade cow

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:26:00 +0200

A cow has escaped a slaughterhouse in the Alps and has been on the run since last week. Brigitte Bardot's animal welfare foundation says it wants to give the renegade cow a home.