Majority of French people concerned about animal welfare, according to a survey
The study on animal welfare was carried out by the IFOP institute for the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, coinciding with the citizens’ initiative on the “referendum for animals”.
A sign of the growing concern of the French people for animal welfare. The campaign to hold a popular referendum (RIP) for animals has already collected over 500,000 signatures. Just a month and a half after its launch.
Following this trend, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which started the project along with some twenty other associations, commissioned a survey from the IFOP Institute. It includes several of the points raised by the RIP.
The results, published this Wednesday, August 19 by the newspaper Le Monde, are in line with the animal rights activists. Over two-thirds of those surveyed are sensitive to animal welfare.
Thus, 73% of those polled said they were supportive of banning animal testing within 10 years. The same number agreed that the authorities should help circus professionals move towards performances without wild animals.
72% support a ban on the sale of pets through classified ads, social networks and pet shops. This measure,n if adopted, could help to relieve pressure on shelters.
It also brings the breeding conditions at issue by the referendum on animals.
In the survey, 90% of the 1009 respondents are supporting compulsory outside space for the animals in each structure. 86% also want animals for slaughter to be stunned. Finally, in a more controversial measure, 82% of those polled were against stag-hunting.
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This survey, carried out between August 5 and 7, should, therefore, help the animal rights activists’ cause.
“There is a keen awareness of these issues that have developed and we need to answer it. This is a matter on which we need to forge ahead inter-ministerially,” said the Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Bérangère Abba, referring to the campaign for the referendum.
As required by law, the organisers must gather at least 4.7 million supports (10% of total voters) for it to be triggered.