For this 9th wave of the barometer, and 3 months ahead of the 2026 municipal elections, Ifop for the Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis asked French people about their perceptions of animal welfare.
A. Pets perceived as far better protected than wild animals
The French understand animal welfare primarily in terms of the emotional closeness they feel towards animals. Pets, which are part of a daily, emotional relationship with their owners, are still perceived as being largely well-treated (80%, up 2 points on 2025). Conversely, the further animals are removed from this emotional sphere, the more fragile their condition appears: only 48% of French people feel that the well-being of wild animals is well assured (-3 points compared to last year).
This hierarchy reveals a vision of animal welfare that is strongly linked to emotional closeness to the French, in contrast to public institutions deemed insufficiently mobilized. Distrust of public authorities has in fact increased: only 43% of French people feel that legislation is effective in protecting animals (down 6 points in one year), and confidence in judges and the courts is also falling (down 2 points). This protection is perceived to be even weaker for wild animals, whose legal framework appears far less favorable than that of pets. In view of this, 82% of French people support the Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis’s proposal to give animals the legal status of “non-human persons”.
It’s worth noting that when it comes to defending animal welfare, politicians come last among the players acting for animal welfare (33%, stable compared to 2025), suffering from a more global crisis of results in the eyes of the French, exacerbated since the failed dissolution of June 2024.
B. Faced with the perceived lack of animal protection by national authorities, the French overwhelmingly support the proposals tested in our survey
The proposals tested can be grouped under four main headings:
- the commodification of animals ;
- rearing and slaughtering conditions ;
- human leisure activities (hunting and bullfighting);
- scientific and medical uses of animals.
B.1 A desire to ban the commodification of pets still widely shared, and on the rise this year
French people’s attitude to the commercialization of pets remains marked by strong hostility. Thus, 86% of French people say they are in favor of banning the online sale of all animals (+2 points compared to January 2025). Support for banning the sale of pets in pet shops is slightly lower, but still very high (77%, +1 point).
B.2 The French are uncompromising on the issues of animal husbandry and slaughter
The French are particularly “firm” on issues relating to animal breeding and slaughter. Thus, 82% say they are in favor of banning intensive livestock farming (support is particularly strong among young people), and 91% (= 2025) are in favor of banning the transport of live farm animals.
Livestock issues appear to be closely linked to those of slaughter. 81% of French people are in favor of slaughtering farm animals directly where they are raised, rather than in slaughterhouses, and 92% are in favor of widespread video surveillance in slaughterhouses – a record level since our barometer began. Finally, on a broader scale, 88% believe that the slaughter of conscious animals is unacceptable.
B.3 The French are opposed to human “pleasure” activities involving animals
The French are sensitive to leisure activities involving animal suffering. With regard to bullfighting, 78% say they are in favor of banning it, the highest level measured since the barometer began. By contrast, only 21% consider it legitimate to make animals suffer in the name of certain local traditions, a legitimacy that is clearly declining (-6 points compared to January 2025).
Opinion is also overwhelmingly in favor of banning hunting for hounds (78%, +2 points year-on-year), and of school vacations, weekends and public holidays becoming non-hunting days (between 79% and 82% in favor).
B.4 Scientific and medical uses of animals: the majority of French people say “no” to animal experimentation
A considerable proportion (80%) of French people say they are in favor of a total ban on all animal experimentation.
Finally, on the question of sterilization, the French appear a little more divided: 66% are in favor of compulsory sterilization of pets (up 5 points), while 34% are opposed.
C. Focus on elections : animals are a factor in the 2026 municipal elections!
Nearly half of French people (51%) consider that a candidate’s stance or announced measures in favor of the animal cause would be likely to encourage them to vote for him or her.
There are differences according to age: young people (67% of under-35s) are more sensitive than seniors (41%), as are “pet owners” (63% vs. 37% among French people who don’t own pets). There is no difference according to geographical location or level of education.
In addition to socio-demographic variables, partisan proximity is also a factor. 66% of left-wing supporters (including 74% of LFI and Ecologistes supporters) consider that a candidate’s stance or announced measures in favor of the animal cause would be likely to encourage them to vote for him/her, compared with 35% of those close to the Republicans and 51% of Rassemblement National supporters.
The study also highlights a core group of 18% of French people who consider that the positions or measures announced by a candidate in favor of the animal cause would be very likely to encourage them to vote for him/her, an increase of 3 points compared to 2020.
Although clearly behind the top “trio” of issues determining the vote in the next municipal elections (security, finance and healthcare), taking animals into account will have a significant impact on voters’ choice of vote!
