Buying a cat in France

esperanza

My friend wanted to buy a cat from an animal's home the other evening. Before she arrived she was joking about bureaucracy in France and how she would be asked to produce some document or other in order to buy the cat!!! Well, when she arrived there and said she wanted to buy the cat that evening, she was asked for her electricity bill to prove that she was resident in France, basically to ensure that the cat would be going to a good home, which is fair enough.

BUT in my opinion, this is completely illegal since it forbids EU citizens not resident in France from buying a animal from a home. For example, an Italian crosses the border and wants to buy a cat in Menton, but is refused because he or she is unable to produce proof of being a resident in France.

I always thought EU legislation takes precedence over national legislation, but here in France this doesn't apply in many areas.

An electricity bill to buy a cat? Hilarious, I thought, like you carry all your important documents on you at all times!!!

Don't leave home without your dossier!

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

well, going out and buying a cat shouldn't be something you just do on a whim.

it should require a few days thought, and then when you've thought about it.. you can grab a bill the day you plan to purchase.

seems fairly straightforward, and a good system to me. Vive la france?

le france?

uberwolf

is it really that odd that an animal be afforded extra protection over and above a tea cosy?

Blackjack

uberwolf wrote:

is it really that odd that an animal be afforded extra protection over and above a tea cosy?

I believe the rules of transportation of goods are different when if comes to Plants or Animals, largely to prevent any diseases etc from being transported.

murphaph

Blackjack wrote:

I believe the rules of transportation of goods are different when if comes to Plants or Animals, largely to prevent any diseases etc from being transported.

Exactly, what country wants some flea-bitten cat sneakin' in

esperanza

Does anyone know if it is possible for a someone who is not resident in France to go and purchase an animal there?

Victor

esperanza wrote:

BUT in my opinion, this is completely illegal since it forbids EU citizens not resident in France from buying a animal from a home.

I would wonder if an animal home constitutes economic activity.

she was asked for her electricity bill to prove that she was resident in France, basically to ensure that the cat would be going to a good home,

Was it to prove residence in France or a particular type of residence.

I always thought EU legislation takes precedence over national legislation, but here in France this doesn't apply in many areas.

Only in EU areas of competence.

There are also specific exemptions where discrimination is permitted, e.g. to protect commerce - specificly mobile phone companies are slow to give foreign customers non-"pay-as-you-go" phones.

mycroft

esperanza wrote:

Does anyone know if it is possible for a someone who is not resident in France to go and purchase an animal there?

For starts and I think I'm not the only one who remembers the dodgy ads in the 80s warning us about bringing animals in from abroad. The UK and Ireland are rabies free and there needs to be guidelines to restrict the movement of animals from these countries.

I honestly don't have an issue with the bill thing, it makes perfect sense to me, and one of those french eccentricties which when you sit down and think about it makes perfect sense, not least of which because in years gone by before stringent legislation animals testing labs using less than dubious channels to acquire subjects, than practice would be at least, hindered by this policy.

What is however crazy is a friend was over from Ireland today with her guidedog, and the majority of legislation over the transport and restrictions of what is basically a phenominally well trained and expensive animal aren't covered by EU legislation its down to the whims of individual members states, for example some insist that the animal travels in the hold, which aside from the inhumane treatment of her companion theres the simple fact that large confusing intimidating structures, like airport terminals are where the guide dog is at her most useful, and stripping the dog away from my friend when she needs it most is just stupid. And yet amazingly theres no EU policy governing it.