Killing “stray, wandering or malicious” dogs is authorized in five municipalities in Aveyron

The prefecture has authorized it since April 10, and until May 10, only for “OFB” agents and “louveterie lieutenants”.

Dogs “wandering, wandering and mischievous” can be slaughtered in five communes of Aveyron, after the publication on April 10 of a prefectural decree. The prefecture authorizes this type of operation for one month, until May 10, and under certain conditions.

The slaughter concerns “Dogs in a wandering state identified as having caused damage to herds or likely to cause damage and whose capture proves impossible”. The prefecture specifies that a dog is considered “in a state of wandering” if he is “apart from a hunting action, guarding or protecting the herd”, if he “is no longer under the effective supervision of his master”, if he “is out of earshot of him or of any sound instrument allowing his recall” or if he “is removed from its owner or the person responsible for it for a distance exceeding 100 meters”.

Too much “damage” to domestic herds

“Only OFB agents” (French Biodiversity Office) and “the lieutenants of louveterie” are authorized to carry out these “bullet shots only”, between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. In addition, the five municipalities concerned are La Couvertoirade, L’Hospitalet-du-Larzac, Nant, Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon and Saint-Jean-et-Saint-Paul.

The Aveyron prefecture has taken this measure to deal with “the extent of the findings of damage to domestic herds established in recent months” And “the conclusion of which does not exclude the responsibility of the wolf”. Since January 1, seven attacks on sheep on six farms can be attributed to wolves in the department.

No “permanent solution”

This operation arouses the indignation of the animal protection association One Voice, which has taken the matter to administrative justice. At the microphone of franceinfo, its president recalls that it already exists “subsidies to protect herds”. Murial Arnal also mentions the case of Italy where “there are three times as many wolves” but more “stray dogs”. She maintains that “all were collected, installed in large parks, adopted, in order to protect the herds”. She believes that this measure will not make it possible to “find a lasting solution”. For its part, the Aveyron prefecture did not respond to franceinfo’s requests.