INSURANCE

THE LAW AND OUR ANIMALS

Arrêté of 27 avril 1999 taking for application of article 211-1 du code rural and establishing the list of kind of dogs that should be dangerous being the object of measures of articles 211-1 à 211-5 of the same code (rural).

The ministre de l'intérieur et the ministre de l'agriculture et de la pêche,

Given the Rural Code, and in particular Articles 211-1 à 211-5,

Arrêtent :

Art. 1er - Are from the 1ère catégorie of dogs, as defined at the article 211-1 of code rural :

The dogs that looks like Staffordshire terrier, without pedigree recognized by le ministre de l'agriculture et de la pêche ;

ABOUT THE STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER...

The dogs that looks like Américan Staffordshire terrier, without pedigree recognized by le ministre de l'agriculture et de la pêche ;

ABOUT THE L'AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER...

Both can be commonly called"pit-bulls".

The dogs that looks like Mastiff, without pedigree recognized by le ministre de l'agriculture et de la pêche.

ABOUT THE MASTIFF...

ABOUT THE BULLMASTIFF...

Those dogs can be commonly called "boerbulls" ;

The dogs that looks like tosa, without pedigree recognized by le ministre de l'agriculture et de la pêche.

ABOUT THE TOSA...

Art.2. - Are from the 2ème catégorie of dogs, as difined at the article 211-1 du code rural :

The breed Staffordshire terrier ;
The breed American Staffordshire terrier ;
The breed Rottweiler ;

ABOUT THE ROTTWEILER...

The breed Tosa ;
The dogs that looks like rottweiler, without pedigree recognized by le ministre de l'agriculture et de la pêche.

Art.3. - The element to recognize dogs of 1ère et and of 2ème catégorie mentionned at the articles 1er et 2 are in annexe of this arrêté.

Art.4. - Le directeur des libertés publiques et des affaires juridiques, la directrice générale de l'alimentation et les préfets are in charge as far as they are concerned, of the execution of this arrêté, that will be published at the Journal officiel de la République française.

Fait à Paris, le 27 AVRIL 1999

Le ministre de l'agriculture et de la pêche,
Jean GLAVANY

Le ministre de l'intérieur,
Jean-Pierre CHEVENEMENT

ANNEXE

The dogs designed in this arrêté, for the 1ère or the 2ème catégorie, are molossians type dog, definite by a heavily and thick built, a strong frame and a thick neck.

the main elements are the chest and the head. The chest is powerful and big, cylindrical with bow ribs. The head is big and heavily built with a skull and a muzzle in the shape more or less cubic. the muzzle is attached to the skull by a depression more or less marked called the stop.

the dogs commonly called "pit-bulls" that belong to 1ère catégorie looks like the following description :

     Little dog of varied color with a thoracic perimeter mesuring about 60 cm (That
     correspond to a weight of 18 kg) and 80 cm (That correspond to a weight of 40 kg).
     He is 35 to 50 cm high ;
     muscular dog with short hair ;
     powerful appearance ;
     front heavily built with back comparatively light ;
     the stop is not very pronounced, the muzzle has around the same length that the
     skull but broadless, and the nose is forward the chin ;
     the jaws are strong, with the muscles of the cheek bulging ;

the dogs commonly called "boerbulls", that belong to 1ère catégorie looks like the following description :

     dog generaly with fawn color and short hair, tall and muscular, with a tall
     body
     heavily built, and long ;
     a big head, with a big skull and a muzzle rather short ;
     hanging lips, the muzzle and the nose could be black ;
     the neck is big with the line of the skin representative of the whalebone ;
     the thoracic perimeter is above 80 cm (That correspond to a weight of 40 kg.
     He is 50 to 70 cm high ;
     the body is rather thick and cylindrical ;
     the stomach has a volume near the one of the chest.

the dog that belong to the 1ère catégorie that looks like tosa have a large resemblance with the following description :

     dog with short hair and variable color. Generaly fawn, bringée or black, with
     tall body and heavily built ;
     the thoracic perimeter is above 80 cm (That correspond to a weight of 40 kg.
     He is 60 à 65 cm high ;
     the head is composed of a big skull, of a pronounced stop, with a medium muzzle ;
     The jaws lower and upper are strong
     The neck is muscular, with whalebone ;
     The chest is big and tall ;
     The stomach is hollow ;
     the tail is thick at its base.

the dog that belong to the 2ème catégorie that looks like rottweiler, have a large resemblance with the following description :

     Dog with short hair, and black and tan coat ;
     Stocky dog, a little long and cylindrical body, the thoracic perimeter is above
     70 cm (That correspond to a weight of 30 kg.
      He is 60 to 65 cm high ;
     The skull is big with a bulging forehead and muscular cheeks.
     The muzzle is medium, with strong jaws ;
     the stop is very pronounced ;
     The nose is level with the chin ;

For the dog that belong to the 2ème catégorie, and are breed :

     They have the standard for breeds concerned, established by Société
     Centrale Canine ;
     Their belonging to the breed concerned is attested by a birth certificate or a
     pedigree. These documents are issue by the Société Centrale Canine when
    the dog is entered in the genealogical book for the breed concerned.