Ambre, a resident of Boën-sur-Lignon, faces a court complaint from her town hall after spending tens of thousands of euros rescuing 40 stray cats.
Municipal officials filed the complaint earlier this year for feeding animals in public spaces, citing departmental health regulations. The legal action leaves the local resident facing a fine of up to 750 euros and a potential suspension of her driving licence.
The conflict began when Ambre settled in the commune in 2023 and noticed an increasing number of abandoned felines in her neighborhood. Alarmed by the situation, she sought assistance from local authorities, but her initial inquiry was rejected when town officials claimed no municipal stray cat management program existed.
Unwilling to ignore the problem, Ambre transformed her private residence into a refuge fitted with heated catteries. Over three years, she took charge of 40 stray cats, traveling across the surrounding region to place them with foster families and permanent owners.
She personally paid for all 40 spay and neuter procedures, electronic identifications, vaccinations, and veterinary care, spending several tens of thousands of euros out of her own pocket. Despite her personal and financial investment, local elected leaders initiated legal action against her, prolonging a dispute that has now lasted three years.
Legal Argument Over Stray Cat Regulations
Speaking to regional news outlet Actu Saint-Étienne, Ambre maintained that her rescue operation was completely lawful. She stated that the animals she fed were already neutered and officially identified, which gives them legal status as free cats under the French Rural Code, and added that she had obtained a signed non-trapping agreement with the municipal pound.
Under the French Rural Code, municipal mayors bear a statutory obligation to manage stray animal populations and prevent overcrowding within their jurisdictions. French animal protection laws specifically encourage sterilization and microchipping programs, allowing stray cats to remain in their original neighborhoods as protected free cats rather than being captured and euthanized by local impound services.
However, departmental health regulations across France strictly prohibit the feeding of stray animals on public thoroughfares to avert public health hazards and pest attraction. Municipalities rely on these sanitary regulations to fine residents who feed stray populations in shared public spaces, creating a frequent point of legal friction between local councils and animal welfare volunteers.
Shelter Association and Potential Counterclaim
Despite the legal complaint against her, the founder of the sanctuary association Le Havre des rescapés continues her rescue work and still shelters 20 cats in her home. Resolved to defend her actions, Ambre is now preparing to file a legal complaint of her own against the town council for failing to fulfill its legal duties.
Contacted by reporters from regional news publications including La Dépêche du Midi, representatives of the Boën-sur-Lignon town hall declined to comment on the pending complaint or the dispute over stray cat management in the commune.
