A radical decision. Anne Frackowiak-Jacobs, prefect of Creuse, has just issued an order “to allow the shooting of stray dogs in situations of attacks on sheep flocks”, as reported by local media outlet La Montagne.
The ruling only applies to “wandering dogs in situations of attack on a group of animals that have been protected by patou-type dogs and/or electrified fences, and are the only recipients of defensive fire, therefore those who have been preyed upon,” the ruling explains.
The action was taken because of the large number of dogs observed in sheep farming areas, generally due to “negligence or carelessness of their owners, and not because of lost or abandoned animals”, said prefect Creuse.
Precedent in Aveyron and Haute-Vienne
Recently, wanderings of Saarloos wolfhounds, which have similar characteristics to wolves, were observed south of the Creuse, in the vicinity of sheep herds.
“The Rural Ordinance requires that dogs be kept under the direct supervision of their owners, except for herding dogs and hunting dogs when hunting,” the prefecture recalled. “Therefore, there is no reason to place wandering dogs near herds of animals that are vulnerable to predation, especially when they are in a position to attack those herds,” he explained.
Despite reports and concerns, no dogs were shot dead at Creuse, “neither by the wolf scouts, nor by the brigade. large predator OFBas well as by the beneficiaries of simple defensive shots,” explained Anne Frackowiak-Jacobs.
Creuse is not the first department to make such a decision. In 2024, Aveyron and Haute-Vienne had implemented the same decision before the court suspended the decision, following actions taken by animal rights associations.
