Letters: We had to let an injured fox die due to French rules
Connexion reader says the vet refused to treat the animal to prevent the spread of diseases
The vet said that the fox could not be treated to avoid spreading diseases to domestic animals
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To the Editor,
We recently found an injured fox outside our gate that we believe had been struck by a passing vehicle.
We called our vet, only to be told, to our great surprise, that it's illegal in France for a veterinary practice to treat wild animals.
Our vet explained that it's partly to prevent diseases from passing to domestic animals, but also in support of other initiatives - for example France has been officially free of bovine tuberculosis since 2001, partly as a result of strict controls regarding wildlife.
What was even more surprising was that the nearest licenced wildlife refuge was almost 200km away in Ustaritz near Bayonne, so it's entirely understandable that people are reluctant to intervene.
In this case a fox that was sufficiently injured that it was unable to move much, would have died a slow lingering death over a period of days had we not made that journey.
It was not surprising to hear from the staff there that a significant number of people who arrived with foxes and similar wild animals were English...
Dorne Lovegrove, by email
Have you ever tried to help an injured wild animal in France? What do you make of the rules to stop you doing so? Let us know at letters@connexionfrance.com
