The amendment that was to authorize, under certain conditions, the culling of stray dogs in several overseas territories has finally been withdrawn from the emergency bill for agricultural protection and sovereignty. When joint parity committee On July 16, seven members of parliament and seven senators had this provision was set aside, which no longer appears in the text definitively adopted on Tuesday, July 21.
Initially approved by the Senate, Amendment 604 predicted that in Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte and RéunionThe prefect could authorize culling operations when captures proved ineffective and the dogs posed a danger to livestock, people, or biodiversity. Its authors cited, in particular, the Resurgence of attacks on livestock in Martiniquewhere more than 500 farm animals were killed in 2025. They felt that current law did not allow prefects to intervene effectively.
Identify, sterilize, and fund
If this provision is removed from the text, the problem of stray dogs will remain unresolved in the French overseas territories, particularly in Saint-Martin, a territory especially affected by animal abandonment, where solutions are still struggling to take shape. However, culling (or euthanasia) has never been a lasting solution to canine overpopulation: it is the cause that must be addressed, not the consequence.
The withdrawal of the measure was welcomed by animal welfare advocates. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation called it a “major victory for animal rights” and reiterated that “sterilization, identification, and support for local associations are the only sustainable solutions.” The 30 Million Friends Foundation also advocates for an approach based on prevention rather than culling.
