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3 mins
Have you ever seen a road sign saying “Walking cat, slow down”? Well, there are 36 in the town of Mennecy, in Essonne. It was Lionel who made them pose to prevent the cats from being crushed. He tells.
In Mennecy, funny signs have appeared along the roads. On it, silhouettes of cats with the message: “Cat on a walk. To slow down.” It is Lionel Garnier, president of the Aux Mennechats association, who is at the origin of this initiative. He was tired of seeing cats run over in his town: “I picked up a few too many here.” Its signs use the codes of traditional road signs: “They are not subject to the Highway Code, they are not prohibited, it is at the discretion of the municipality.” It was therefore necessary to convince the elected officials, who approved the approach. “We have a fairly strong policy in terms of animal preservation”says the mayor, Jean-Philippe Dugoin-Clément.
“When we want, we can, and if we can, we must”
10,000 euros were allocated to this action and 36 panels have now been installed in the town. And cats aren’t the only ones with their signs. Some display hedgehogs, “who also deserve to live”. Lionel Garnier knows he won’t be able to save all his four-legged friends: “I didn’t say that this sign was going to prevent all accidents.” But he hopes to make a difference: “By seeing these signs, I can hope that someone will be sensitive and will put their foot down.” And thus respond with actions to its motto: “When we want, we can, and if we can, we must.”