French mayor limits number of animals per household to restrict noise

THE DECREE SAYS PEOPLE SHOULD NOT KEEP MORE THAN TWO DOGS AND CAN BE FINED IF THEY HAVE TWO COCKERELS A village in north-east France has banned people from keeping more than two dogs or one

cockerel, goose or guinea fowl in a curiously precise decree. Mayor Angeline Lamy issued the decree on September 11 saying the aim was “to limit the disruptive noises made by these animals

in the commune, vis-a vis their intensity, duration, aggressive or repetitive nature and duration.” The decree has caused a stir among the 250 residents of Emberménil in Meurthe-et-Moselle,

who had until September 20 to comply or else face a fine of €68. ‘TRAMPLING ON OUR FREEDOM’ One resident, Pauline, who has seven dogs, told France Bleu that has had to quickly find new homes

for several of her pets. “The SPA [ the Society for the protection of animals] is taking one, but I can’t give all of them to the association, especially since they have not been

mistreated.” Another resident, Anne-Laure Perrot, has taken umbrage at the degree, which she says is “trampling on people’s freedom.” “We have four cocks that we keep as pets, and they do

tend to crow at night, which can sometimes annoy our neighbours,” said Anne-Laure Perrot. “Today they’re telling us one cockerel, two dogs, what’s next? A curfew at 22:00?” Ms Perrot, who

moved to the village seven years ago, said that in early September the mayor came to her house at 05:55 along with two gendarmes to document her cockerels crowing. “I can understand that

it's annoying but this is the countryside, it's normal that there is some animal noise here,” she said. In France, disruptive noise at night, or _tapage nocturne_, is usually

sanctioned by a fine of €68 rather than specific municipal decrees, however, the rules include a tolerance for countryside noises, and specifically cockerels, which tend to crow in the

morning. READ MORE: NEW FRENCH LAW WILL TACKLE ‘PHONEY’ RURAL NOISE COMPLAINTS Certain residents of Emberménil plan on launching an informal appeal against the decree to the prefecture of

Meurthe-et-Moselle, hoping to dispute its legality. “There is no way they’ll end up in a casserole, they are family, the kids play with them,” said Ms Perrot. READ MORE: NOISY NEIGHBOURS:

FRANCE’S MOST OUTLANDISH AND NOTORIOUS DISPUTES NOISY NEIGHBOURS IN FRANCE: HOW CAN I STOP A DOG BARKING INCESSANTLY? MAKE SENSE OF… YOUR LOCAL FRENCH MAIRIE