Volunteers at the Refuge Canin Lotois shelter in Cahors have celebrated a series of emotional adoptions as France struggles with widespread animal abandonment.
National estimates indicate that between 100,000 and 300,000 animals are abandoned across reception facilities in France each year. The high volume of strays leaves many rescue centres operating at full capacity while staff and volunteers work continuously to find permanent homes for their animals.
Among the latest success stories in the Lot department of southwestern France is Ruben, a stray dog whose arrival touched a local couple who had previously decided never to own another pet.
Sylvie and Éric had been deeply affected by the loss of their Bernese Mountain Dog two years earlier, a large Swiss working breed they had owned. Sylvie said that taking in another animal had been completely out of the question for them until they decided to volunteer at the Cahors shelter to walk abandoned dogs and give them time outside their kennels.
A chance meeting on a shelter walk
During their volunteer work, the couple met Ruben, an extremely fearful dog who had been rescued by a shelter worker. Sylvie and Éric said their initial walk with Ruben proved to be a revelation, noting that his story moved them deeply and that they chose each other during that first outing.
A volunteer from the Refuge Canin Lotois had originally discovered Ruben wandering along a roadside without an electronic microchip. Under French animal welfare rules, strays are held for seven days to allow owners to come forward, but after no owner claimed Ruben within that timeframe, he was officially placed up for adoption.
Carine Tissandier, the president of the Refuge Canin Lotois association, said Ruben was fortunate not to remain long at the facility. Tissandier noted that out of approximately 100 stray or abandoned animals brought to the shelter last year, an equal number were adopted, representing a positive dynamic, yet the kennels remain constantly filled in what she described as an infernal circle.
Strict screening and adoption procedures
To adopt Ruben, Sylvie and Éric went through the shelter's standard adoption protocol. Tissandier explained that the public is not permitted to tour the kennel facilities directly, both to avoid causing stress to the dogs and to ensure safety on site.
Instead, prospective owners must visit the shelter website, where detailed behavioral profiles of all 21 dogs currently available for adoption are published. Applicants complete an online questionnaire covering their lifestyle, housing conditions, family composition, reasons for adoption, and any existing household pets. A shelter handler evaluates the submitted document before calling the applicant to arrange an in-person appointment.
Once on site, staff conduct a detailed consultation with applicants to identify a suitable match and arrange a joint walk with the animal. If both parties agree, the adopter signs a commitment certificate, which initiates a mandatory seven-day legal reflection period during which the adopter can withdraw or complete the adoption. Fifteen days after completing the process, Ruben was officially registered under his new owners on Icad, the national French domestic carnivore identification database.
Second chances for long-term shelter residents
Sylvie and Éric reported that Ruben has grown progressively less fearful during long daily walks and has mastered basic obedience commands and recall responses. The couple also decided to continue volunteering at the Refuge Canin Lotois to walk other dogs while they await adoption.
Tissandier praised the couple as remarkable people who established a special bond with the shelter through their helpfulness and dedication to animal welfare. She added that another emotional adoption recently occurred at the shelter involving a Belgian Malinois shepherd, a high-energy working breed.
The Malinois had waited a year at the shelter after being abandoned twice by previous owners. Tissandier said the dog truly had a lucky star when he was adopted by a former drug addict. The new owner stated that society had offered him a second chance in life, and he saw no reason why the dog should not receive a second chance as well.
Broader animal welfare efforts in Cahors
The Refuge Canin Lotois, located in the prefecture of Cahors, continues to seek adoptive families and volunteer walkers. Members of the public interested in adopting or volunteering can contact the shelter by telephone at 06 58 36 87 99, by email at [email protected], or through their official website at refugecaninlotois.com.
The successful adoptions come amid wider animal protection measures and challenges across the Lot region. In Cahors, the prosecutor's office has established specialized awareness courses for individuals convicted of animal abuse offenses to combat animal cruelty.
At the same time, rising operational costs continue to impact pet owners and shelters, with a boarding kennel owner in Cahors reporting that commercial dog food prices have surged by 50 percent.
Local community support has also emerged, including an initiative by a local writer and composer who donates one euro from each work sold to support the Refuge Canin Lotois.
The shelter continues to organize multiple awareness and mobilization campaigns across the region to promote animal welfare and support abandoned pets.
