Dog theft in France is soaring. Animal protection groups estimate that up to 70,000 dogs are stolen each year – nearly 200 a day. The scale of the problem is staggering, and it’s getting worse.
Small, high-value breeds are the main targets. French Bulldogs, Pugs, Chihuahuas and Siberian Huskies are among the most frequently stolen. A purebred French Bulldog can sell for up to €2,500 on the black market. Some are resold within hours. Others are trafficked to illegal breeding operations.
It is not only dogs that are disappearing. Cats, particularly purebreds, are increasingly being targeted as well. According to animal welfare organisations, the number of cat thefts is rising in parallel with dogs. Breeds such as Maine Coons, Bengals and Persians are especially sought after. Like dogs, stolen cats are resold or used for breeding, with little chance of recovery. The surge in demand for pets following the Covid lockdowns has only fuelled the trade. And just like with dogs, owners find that the police are uninterested, and that the legal framework offers no protection.
In a French television report earlier this month, Ingrid Bouillet, whose bulldog Véga was stolen from a motorway rest area, said: ‘My life is turned upside down, I am devastated by grief.’ Paula Da Silva, whose 13-month-old Spitz was snatched in Paris, described it as ‘very violent’ and likened it to someone walking off with your child. In the southern region of Provence, owners report pets being snatched in broad daylight. Some are pulled off leads in the street. Others are taken from gardens while owners are just steps away. In one case near Marseille, a woman’s terrier was taken from outside a bakery while she was paying at the till. Surveillance footage showed a man walking past, unclipping the dog’s lead and calmly disappearing into the crowd.
The problem is national, but certain areas have become hotspots. Paris is at the centre of the surge, with thefts concentrated in the wealthier arrondissements where pedigree dogs are more common. Suburban neighbourhoods around Paris are also frequently targeted, along with parts of the Gironde, the Alpes-Maritimes and the Rhône. In these areas, thieves know what to look for and where to find it. Small dogs are snatched in parks, outside cafés, or even from inside courtyards. The more affluent the area, the more likely that the dog is worth something.
Even reporting a theft can be a struggle. Owners say that police routinely refuse to register complaints, telling them there is no proof the animal was stolen. Many are simply told their pet has wandered off. According to a recent report in La Provence, nearly half of pet owners who try to lodge a complaint face obstacles or are turned away. One owner whose dog was stolen told journalists: ‘It’s an immeasurable pain. You have to fight just to get the complaint registered.’ According to the Ministry of the Interior, only 459 dog thefts were officially recorded in 2022. No official figures appear to have been published since. But animal protection groups challenge the number, claiming it vastly underestimates the true scale of the problem. Many thefts are never reported, and countless others are not registered by police.
Although French law was amended in 2015 to recognise pets as sentient beings (êtres vivants doués de sensibilité), meaning they are no longer considered mere property under the Civil Code, the application of the law has failed to keep pace. In practice, pet theft is still treated as ordinary property theft, with penalties often limited to a fine or at worst a suspended sentence. If they’re investigated at all, cases are routinely dismissed, and the courts remain reluctant to treat the theft of a pet as anything more than a minor offence.
All dogs and cats in France are required to be registered in the national database known as I-CAD, which includes microchip information and owner details. But there is no obligation for vets, shelters or authorities to scan animals, and even when they do, the chip may not be connected with an active search. In many cases, the dogs are quickly resold or passed into breeding circuits. The law offers no real enforcement mechanism. The chip itself can also be removed. It is no larger than a grain of rice and can be cut out quickly with a small incision. In practice, many stolen pets simply vanish without a trace. For owners, the chip itself, and the registry, offer almost no recourse.
Behind the rising numbers is a thriving underground trade. Gangs are now said to be responding to specific orders for certain breeds, just as they do for organised car theft. French Bulldogs, which are difficult to breed and fetch high prices, are particularly prized. Stolen animals are quickly resold through online marketplaces or passed to illicit breeding operations. Some end up in puppy or kitten farms. Others are smuggled across borders. Animal protection groups have traced stolen pets to Eastern Europe and North Africa. In most cases, they’re never recovered.
Abandoned by the authorities, many owners take matters into their own hands. Social media is flooded with appeals for missing pets. Flyers are pinned to lampposts and bus stops, especially in towns and suburbs where thefts are on the rise. Owners print posters and offer rewards. Facebook groups dedicated to recovering stolen dogs and cats have thousands of members.
Police, prosecutors, and courts are unwilling to pursue pet theft with any seriousness. The system treats pet theft as a low-priority crime, regardless of the emotional harm inflicted on victims. The result is impunity. Fear has changed behaviour. Some owners no longer let their pets off the lead, or leave them tied up outside shops, not even for a moment. Until pet theft is properly investigated and punished, criminals will keep winning. This is because they risk little for easy money. Stealing a phone seems to carry more serious consequences than stealing a dog.
Stealing pets is a high-reward, low-risk racket, with devastating emotional consequences. In a country that prides itself on animal welfare, the inaction of the justice system is shameful.
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