We've got the house up for sale and are at the point of starting to look for a home in France. Dog is snipped, chipped and very shortly to go for rabies vaccination. Reading up further on taking pets across we found non-pedigree "staffordshires" are banned, but can't find much more info than this. Does anyone know the situation with cross breeds? We know Maxi is staffy x...we don't know what he's mixed with as he is a rescue dog. He is the baby of the family and has never shown any agression towards humans/animals or even the fish! He's so soft he gets bullied by the local cats and watches as the magpies steal his food. We can see our plans crumbling as there's no way we'd move without him. Has anyone here moved with a Staffy cross - did you have any problems getting them in?
Any help/advice appreciated.
Thanx
~Fig~
http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/855807/ShowPost.aspx
Hi fig, and welcome to the forum. This was discussed some time ago. Christine Animal worked quite hard researching this for the poster and, if my memory serves me correctly, the conclusion was good.
Yes, it's a big mess. If you have a Staffie with a pedigree you are fine as you can prove it's a Staffie. For one without a pedigree or a cross, it seems you have to be able to prove somehow what it is. This is what the Société Centrale Canine replied concerning a Staffie cross :
Pour le second cas, c’est à mon avis très différent, croisé staffie (on ne sait pas avec quelle autre race), cela peut donner un chien différent morphologiquement du véritable Staffie et le rapprocher, toujours morphologiquement, des descriptions des types de chiens apparentés reprises dans la loi. Il sera alors très difficile de prouver aux autorités compétentes qu’il n’appartient pas à la première catégorie.
The problem is being able to prove what he is. A Staffie cross (with we don't know what other breed) can give a dog looking unlike the real Staffie and more like those under the law. I have heard there are veterinary experts in France who are able to decide whether a dog is a première catégorie or not. What does your dog look like and can you get an official paper from an expert in England saying what he is ?
Where have you seen that non-pedigree Staffies are banned ?
Good idea Nicos, if ever the result can be used as an official document. I also recently heard about that :
http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/945501/ShowPost.aspx
Edit. Though this is what someone says about the test :
Hi again.
Thanks for all the advice and useful links.
On a prospective happy note. As it's now during opening hours I rang Max's vet to see if they know anything. Explained that we'd read non-pedigree Staffys (and therefore possibly Staffy X's) are banned breeds. She said...... "rubbish!" (also advising, as we already know, about vaccinations, chips etc). She's suggested we contact the local DEFRA to double check as the laws are constantly changing, but on the whole thinks we won't have any problem. I'm contacting them and will keep you posted on their conclusions.
We're also saving for DNA tests just in case lol. Won't be happy until he's actually in France. I think the only way we'll know for sure is to finish getting his passport and try taking him across when we go househunting.
As for what he looks like... Not sure if this will work
I can't specify a particular link to where I read the info....there were one or two :(
Hope you all have a good weekend.
Take care
Fig - couldnt you suggest to your vet that breed type might be Collie x because apart from the shape of the brow - there is not much about him that seems to be staffi - the carriage of the ears might be a give away but they were not in a normal position, by the looks of the photo.
You will need to see a French vet before you come back from you house-hunting for worming and frontline and he would be your best bet because you may find holiday makers have less attention drawn to the 'staffi' issue than if you are a resident - you might get a different reaction then, but the French vet should know.
Hope all goes well.
You could try a Collie/Boxer cross and get away from the Staffie altogether. If he was a rescue, you don't really know if he has any Staffie do you ?
Just come back from S.C.C. course where we covered this point. Where it gets a bit muddled is that in France they recognise Pit Bulls,Staffordshires and American Staffordshire terriers.
If these are not pedigree dogs and not inscrit with the L.O.F then they are classed as category one dogs
You cannot import ,sell or give away a cat 1.dog
You cannot be in charge of one if you are under 18
It must be registered at the mairie
It has to have rabies jabs
It must be on lead and muzzled in public
There is compulsory insurance required and you must carry the dogs i.d. papers at all times
They cannot be kept in public housing schemes and are not allowed on public transport
Sterilisation is compulsory
Sanctions include 1600€ fines and six month prison terms.
The problem is that the French do not seem to recognise Staffordshire bull terriers as a seperate breed and as far as crosses go the law states that it applies to any dog that has the appearance and/or the morphology of a category 1 animal whatever parents they have. I have never seen a staffie in France but it might be worth googling staffies in France or something to find an owner who has one here.otherwise you just take a chance and bring it.
Once you are here then I would just avoid walking withit in towns as you might come across an overzealous gendarme!!
Best of luck
Steve
Please note that any unsolicited advertising will be removed