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Reader experiences: Travelling to France with dogs
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Dog thefts on rise in France: what breeds are being targeted and where
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DNA of pet dogs to be used to trace mess on streets in village near Nice
The town in Alpes-Maritimes already spends €25,000 a year to clean it up
Five things you may not know... about pets in France
We take a sideways look at French attitudes to cats, dogs and other furry bébés
1. Les animaux
Around 54% of households in France have at least one pet, and a large proportion of them are bought as gifts for children.
The most popular breed of dog in France is the Australian Shepherd, but (sssh!) cats are a far more popular choice than dogs, and most of them are simple moggies.
Je l’adore!
Read more: Is there a ‘lost and found’ pet register in France?
2. Le toutou
French men don’t mind walking fluffy little lapdogs late at night – even if the aforementioned darling is wearing a glitter collar and a pink lead.
It is a strange kind of status symbol: this is a man who has a woman who has a lapdog, and she is worth it, kind of thing...
Mais dis donc!
3. Mon bébé
Well-behaved lapdogs are allowed in places that otherwise ban dogs, eg. restaurants, bars, hotels – and even supermarkets.
More than once, lapdogs have been spotted sitting nicely in the child’s seat of a supermarket trolley – in some cases, causing less mayhem than their human counterparts.
Que c’est mimi!
Read more: Can I take my dog or cat with me on a train in France?
4. Le minou
Cats are the most popular pets in France.
There are an estimated 13.5 million pet cats in the Hexagon, compared to seven million dogs.
Photo: Cat sculpture in La Romieu; Credit: Marion Kaplan / Alamy
The village of La Romieu in Gers bears witness to this feline love affair: visitors can spot hundreds of beautiful cats all around the village, sculpted by Maurice Serreau.
T’as vu?
5. Les déjections canines
It is illegal for your pooch to decorate the pavement in the way nature intended, but the 150,000 dogs living in Paris are estimated to produce 16 tonnes of freebies a day.
In Bergerac, the fine for not picking up your canine’s latest déjection is now €750.
Could this work in Paris?
Il faut essayer!
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