Sale of dogs and cats in pet shops : new severe fines come into effect

Selling a puppy or a kitten in a pet shop now costs unscrupulous professionals much more. A new decree, which came into force in early August, finally gives teeth to a ban that existed on paper since 2024 but had largely remained without real financial consequence. At the same time, the European Union lays the first stone of a common framework for the traceability of dogs and cats across the Twenty-Seven member states. Two texts, two scales, one shared objective: end impulse purchases and dubious supply chains.

Fines rising up to €3,000 per animal

The law of 30 November 2021 against animal mistreatment had already prohibited, since 1 January 2024, the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops. But for lack of a clearly quantified deterrent sanction, the ban remained difficult to enforce in practice. The decree published on 1 August 2026 and applicable from the following day fills this legal gap: the sale of a dog or a cat in a pet shop now constitutes a fifth-class contravention, punishable by up to €1,500 per animal, increased to €3,000 in case of repeat offense.

Another targeted offense: displaying an animal in a shop window visible from a public way, already banned since December 2021, which also becomes liable to a fine, up to €750 per animal as a fourth-class contravention. According to Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard, the declared aim of the text is to limit impulse purchases and to make future owners more responsible, who are often ill-prepared for the real needs of an animal.

The European Union harmonises traceability

This national tightening is part of a broader movement at the European level. The European Parliament finally adopted, on 28 April 2026, a regulation devoted to the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 10 August 2026. It is the very first unified European text on the subject, designed to curb the illegal trades that still thrive between certain member states.

Concretely, the regulation requires that all cats and dogs present in the EU, including those kept by private individuals, be identifiable by microchip and registered in national databases made interoperable between Member States. A unscrupulous seller will therefore no longer be able to hide the true origin of an animal behind administrative borders.

• Breeders, sellers and shelters have a period of four years from the entry into force of the text to comply.
• Non-selling private owners benefit from a longer transition: up to ten years for dogs and fifteen years for cats.
• National databases will ultimately have to communicate with each other to prevent cross-border trafficking.

What this means in practice for future owners

For a private individual considering adoption, these changes have a very concrete consequence: the neighborhood pet shop can no longer be a point of sale for live animals, and a puppy or kitten displayed in a shop window must now raise alarm rather than attract. Legal channels remain the registered breeder, the shelter or a recognized association, all subject to strengthened traceability obligations. In the long run, the generalisation of microchipping for all animals, including those never sold, should also make reunions easier in case of escape or theft, a sensitive issue for millions of French households.

However, it is necessary to distinguish between what is established fact and what remains a matter of forecast. The amounts of fines and the application dates of the French decree are set and already in effect. By contrast, the compliance deadlines provided by the European regulation stretch over several years: their concrete application in each Member State, including France, will still depend on upcoming transposition texts.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still buy a dog or a cat in a pet shop in France?

No. The sale of dogs and cats in pet shops has been prohibited since 1 January 2024. The new August 2026 decree does not change the ban itself; it adds precise and enforceable fines, up to €3,000 per animal in case of repeat offense.

Does the European regulation on traceability already apply to private individuals?

Not immediately. Owners who do not sell animals benefit from a compliance period that can be up to ten years for dogs and fifteen years for cats, the time needed for interoperable national registers to be set up.

What does a pet shop risk for displaying a puppy in a shop window?

Displaying an animal in a window visible from the street is an offense distinct from the sale itself, punishable by a fourth-class contravention that can reach €750 per animal.

Sources

• Petites Affiches – Pet shops that still sell dogs and cats now risk a fine
• Toute l'Europe – Animal welfare: the European Parliament approves the first common rules
• Le Point Vétérinaire – The EU regulates the traceability, breeding and sale of dogs and cats

To go further on regulatory developments in law and justice, the repercussions for commerce and in-store sales, or more broadly on everyday life and society, find our other articles on DirectMag.

This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence. Editorial policy