France has taken a long time to accept that our family pets are living breathing, much loved, flesh and blood. In the past, a dog or cat has had no more status that a piece of furniture or jewellery (and in many cases not as treasured) but a bill has finally been passed to change the status of our pets from “personal property” to that of a “conscious living being”.
Animal rights campaigners such as 30 Millions d’Amis are naturally pleased with this progress, but many groups say that, whilst it is a move forward on paper, it will not necessarily change attitudes to and exploitation of animals, and is more of a symbolic gesture than a useful bill to prevent cruelty and neglect.
