We regularly hear from people who are concerned for the welfare of dogs they live close to, and for the new British arrivals in France this can be quite a dilemma, here is how one family solved their problem told in their correspondence with Hope, permission was given and their names have been changed to respect confidentiality.

Hello
We are trying any method to get this sorted! We live on the border of  Departments 37 & 86.
Our French neighbours, a young couple have recently acquired a puppy who is shut in a cold, dark barn for in excess of 20 hours a day. The puppy, who is approximately three months old is painfully thin and does not appear to be fed properly.
Can you please put us in touch with somebody who can do something about this situation?
Kind regards, Phil and Ann. (names changed)
Dear Phil and Ann,
It’s a sad fact that we live in France and can do very little to help the many dogs like your neighbours. Unless there is proof of cruelty the authorities will think you are just another raving Brit, and this puppy is lucky not to be chained up outside in all weathers.
What would I do?  go around to my new neighbours and introduce myself, invite them for drink and get around to the subject of the puppy, explain that you are retired and miss the company of a dog and can you take it for walks whilst they are at work, if that is the case.  It may be that they took the animal on not realising the work and costs involved, in which case you might be able to persuade them to part with it and a new home can be found.
The Hope Association
Dear Hope
Very many thanks for your comprehensive, and very sensible response to our pleading!
You are so right – we Brits just cannot comprehend the way the French relate to their dogs. As one of our local neighbours put it recently ”French dogs do not know how comfortable a sofa can be”!
We read through your email and realised the only way resolve the situation was to speak directly to our neighbours, which I did this morning. I firmly believe that the neglect was due to ignorance and lack of knowledge rather than anything malicious, as today they have taken her out for a walk for the first time, and she has been included in a family day our in the car!
We have offered our help – if they are away we can look after her or give them advice on a feeding regime – and we have this evening had an invitation to their son’s christening in May! How a situation can change, and thankfully the beneficiary is the puppy.
We will continue to monitor the puppy’s development, and thank you for your encouragement. Please keep up your good work, and if you need any support here in the north of Vienne or south Indre et Loire we would be happy the help.
With or kindest regards, Phil and Ann
Phil and Ann still recognize that they have a lot of work to do “crossing continents” but at least they were prepared to make the first step.  It takes diplomacy and patience if you are not to be considered an “interfering Anglais”, but for the animals sake we must continue trying.
If you have a similar story you would like to share please contact us: hopeassoc@orange.fr