France attracts millions of tourists with its beautiful landscapes, its famous gourmet cuisine and its fascinating culture. But are you aware, as a tourist, how this Central European civilization treats its animals? Probably not.

The protection and welfare of stray animals is very poor in France. 
Many abandoned or lost animals end up in one of the 500 municipal kennels. In France they call it a fourrière. These fourrières are often in a pitiful state. Cages may not be cleaned daily, the animals may not be protected from extreme heat or frost, the cages are often too small and in a poor condition and the animals may not be taken for walks or receive any attention. You can see a fourrière in a short video that you can find on our website: http://www.nosamislesanimaux.com/petition-english.php

After a statutory period of 8 working days, the animal may be transferred to an animal protection organization, to be adopted. But only to those organizations with an officially recognized shelter and these are often overcrowded. So many municipalities systematically resort to euthanasia.

It is estimated that more than 50,000 animals each year are put down, no matter if they are young and healthy, loving and affectionate. This while the law clearly states that an animal can only be put to sleep if there is a legitimate reason, such as ill health or difficult/dangerous behavior and only on the advice of a qualified veterinarian.

50,000 animals per year, that's a lot! It is a difficult topic for many politicians, a subject that people would rather not talk about; a taboo. 

We, NALA 85480, want to break that taboo. We are a young foundation in western France, which is committed to the protection and welfare of animals. Help us and the stray animals of France to convince the Minister that it really is time that something has to change.