https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed From walking on a lead to where they can and cannot go – and how far away from you they can be before being considered out of your control - here are the rules dog walkers must follow in France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260415/leads-microchips-and-springtime-the-law-for-dog-owners-in-france Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:11:38 +0200 leads-microchips-and-springtime-the-law-for-dog-owners-in-france Dog owners are being warned of extra regulations that are in place from Wednesday - with €750 fines for those who breach them. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240408/the-little-known-french-law-that-could-see-dog-owners-fined-e750-this-spring Mon, 08 Apr 2024 11:43:06 +0200 the-little-known-french-law-that-could-see-dog-owners-fined-e750-this-spring Owning a pet can be expensive, and many turn to insurance plans to help bring costs down. Here are six things to consider before signing up for one in France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251113/6-things-to-know-about-pet-insurance-in-france Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:52:32 +0100 6-things-to-know-about-pet-insurance-in-france Animal-loving Americans may wonder if they can bring their beloved pets with them when they travel to France - whether to live permanently or to stay for an extended period. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220119/can-i-bring-my-pet-to-france-from-the-usa Wed, 19 Jan 2022 17:10:54 +0100 can-i-bring-my-pet-to-france-from-the-usa Whether you own or a dog or are worried about the behaviour of your neighbour's pet - here's what you need to know about the legal process and responsibilities around potentially dangerous dogs. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230630/what-is-the-law-on-dangerous-dogs-in-france Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:19:01 +0200 what-is-the-law-on-dangerous-dogs-in-france Primary school children in France will start getting lessons on how to respect animals and pets starting this autumn, after the curriculum was expanded to include animal welfare. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240821/french-primary-school-children-to-take-pet-care-classes Wed, 21 Aug 2024 18:21:06 +0200 french-primary-school-children-to-take-pet-care-classes From restaurant etiquette to hiking trails, via travel rules and picking up after your pet, here's what dog-owners need to know about France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240816/explained-how-dog-friendly-is-france Fri, 16 Aug 2024 19:31:38 +0200 explained-how-dog-friendly-is-france There's a practical side to puppy love in France. From the certificates you need to sign, to the microchips you need to insert and the documents you need to travel there’s much more to owning a dog than loving them, feeding them and taking them for a walk. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220720/what-you-need-to-know-about-owning-a-dog-in-france Wed, 20 Jul 2022 19:22:17 +0200 what-you-need-to-know-about-owning-a-dog-in-france As new rules for buying pets come into force, we discuss the ways you can legally become a pet owner in France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240104/explained-the-ways-you-can-adopt-a-pet-in-france Thu, 04 Jan 2024 18:08:57 +0100 explained-the-ways-you-can-adopt-a-pet-in-france From January 2024 France has a new rule that regulates the purchase of dogs and cats in pet stores. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240103/what-are-frances-new-rules-for-buying-pets Wed, 03 Jan 2024 10:32:38 +0100 what-are-frances-new-rules-for-buying-pets Pet owners in southern France will have to start cleaning up after their dogs, if they want to avoid being singled out and fined via one city's experimental new dog DNA database https://www.thelocal.fr/20230718/french-town-to-register-dog-dna-to-cut-mess-left-on-streets Tue, 18 Jul 2023 13:46:30 +0200 french-town-to-register-dog-dna-to-cut-mess-left-on-streets If you have lost your cat or dog in France, you might be panicking about what to do, but there are some steps you can take to increase the chance of finding your pet safely. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230221/reader-question-what-do-i-do-if-my-pet-goes-missing-in-france Tue, 21 Feb 2023 11:24:05 +0100 reader-question-what-do-i-do-if-my-pet-goes-missing-in-france After family pet Neko was run over by a high-speed TGV train at Paris' Montparnasse station, animal rights group 'Fondation 30 millions d'amis' is suing the French national rail service. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230124/animal-rights-group-to-sue-french-rail-service-after-cat-crushed-by-train Tue, 24 Jan 2023 11:36:19 +0100 animal-rights-group-to-sue-french-rail-service-after-cat-crushed-by-train Around 300,000 pets are abandoned every year in France, many of them during the summer months. So if you're looking for a pet there are many lovely cats and dogs in shelters looking for a good home - here's how to go about it. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220810/how-to-adopt-a-pet-from-a-french-animal-shelter Wed, 10 Aug 2022 18:25:58 +0200 how-to-adopt-a-pet-from-a-french-animal-shelter Anyone who wants to buy a cat or dog in France will now have to sign a document confirming they understand the responsibility they are about to take on, in an attempt to prevent 'impulse purchase' of pets who are later abandoned. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220720/france-introduces-new-law-to-crack-down-on-impulse-buying-of-pets Wed, 20 Jul 2022 16:04:52 +0200 france-introduces-new-law-to-crack-down-on-impulse-buying-of-pets Under French law, dogs, cats and ferrets that are kept as pets must be identified and registered on a national database. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220518/what-you-need-to-know-about-microchipping-your-pet-in-france Wed, 18 May 2022 17:38:48 +0200 what-you-need-to-know-about-microchipping-your-pet-in-france The rules for travellers bringing pets from the UK into the EU will change in January but the decision to grant the UK 'listed status' means things won't be as complicated as they might have been. Here's what we know so far about the new rules. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201214/update-new-rules-on-pet-travel-as-uk-granted-listed-status-by-eu Mon, 14 Dec 2020 10:16:16 +0100 update-new-rules-on-pet-travel-as-uk-granted-listed-status-by-eu Pets are part of the family and whether they're joining you as you embark on a new life in France or you travel back and forth a fair amount, it's important to know the rules for travelling with your beloved dog, cat (or ferret). https://www.thelocal.fr/20190516/what-you-need-to-know-about-travelling-between-the-uk-and-france-with-your-dog Thu, 16 May 2019 15:12:15 +0200 what-you-need-to-know-about-travelling-between-the-uk-and-france-with-your-dog The Yorkshire Terrier has topped the sad rankings for France's "most lost dog". https://www.thelocal.fr/20160712/yorkshire-terrier-named-the-most-lost-dog-in-france Tue, 12 Jul 2016 14:52:52 +0200 yorkshire-terrier-named-the-most-lost-dog-in-france A Parisian dog owner says her pet dog is a “miracle” mutt after he was returned to her following an adventure on the Metro and the RER network. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160222/paris-miracle-metro-dog-returned-to-owner Mon, 22 Feb 2016 09:22:58 +0100 paris-miracle-metro-dog-returned-to-owner