holidays-dog-pet-friendly

Pet-friendly holidays

Bring your dog on holiday to Pays de Saint Jean de Monts

Did you know?

63 million

This is the number of dogs, cats, birds, fish, rodents and other animals that share their lives with French families.
In France nearly half of homes own at least one pet.
And you – do you have any pets?

Your pets keep you company all year at the house so why leave them at home when you go on holiday? Pet owners will naturally go to places that know how to welcome their pets.

And because it’s the whole family that goes on holiday, you will find below some advice and tips about how to make sure you have a great holiday with your pet in Pays de Saint Jean de Monts.

Advice for travelling with your dog and / or your cat

Before planning a stay in France, there’s some things you need to consider – whether you’re travelling by plane, train, boat or car:

  • Your dog or cat needs to have a European passport. To obtain one of these you need to consult your vet.
  • Your pet needs to be identifiable – whether that is using a chip device or identification marking.
  • Its rabies vaccinations must be valid
  • Your cat must be neutered in order to avoid any chance of reproduction
  • For British visitors, please find more information taking your pet dog or cat abroad.
holidays-dog-pet-friendly

You’ve arrived at your destination!

In Pays de Saint Jean de Monts, you can have complete freedom: simple pleasures and experiences in our beautiful natural environment. Ocean, beach, dune, forest and marshes – your five different playgrounds and places of escape. The horizon is the only limit on a coastline of 19km of beaches with fine sand, amongst the sunniest on the French Atlantic coast.

So that you can have an enjoyable stay here with your pet, you will find here some advice, recommendations and tips:

Public areas

Our animal friends are allowed in public areas – however be considerate!
We like to maintain a good relationship between animal owners and the local population.
The local community is increasingly concerned with environmental problems, keeping the natural environment clean and carrying out numerous activities to protect sensitive and developing areas.
This is the case in Pays de Saint Jean de Monts.

The communities of La Barre de Monts – Fromentine, Notre Dame de Monts and Saint Jean de Monts have an agreement regarding a reasonable level of beach clearing corresponding to the local environment.

There are three zones which are identified in relation to their individual needs and environmental concerns and these guide the method and periods of cleaning and therefore the accessibility of these zones to dogs.

Check the list of beaches which are accessible so that you can make the most of a walk with your pet. The rules differ depending on the time of year. Don’t hesitate to check with the managers of your holiday establishment for the most up to date information regarding the beaches which are the closest to your accommodation.

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You are able to walk in the forest but in order to keep the local wildlife and other users happy, it is preferred if you keep your dog on a lead.

Check here for the walking routes in Pays de Saint Jean de Monts. If you want to go running with your dog, there are numerous pathways in the forest for either jogging or trail running. If CaniCross (running with your dog attached) isn’t appealing – why not try cani-VTT (cycling with your dog attached)?

Because everyone should be able to visit the town with their ‘nose in the air’ and without risking a ‘pathway accident’ (along with it looking and smelling nasty), some of the towns have made dog-waste bags available in three distributor machines.

So that holidays are a moment of relaxation for all the family, you’ll find below a list of places where pets are accepted (identification mark and up to date rabies vaccinations are obligatory). Dogs in categories 1 and 2 are strictly forbidden.

Accommodation

Find here below the campsites, rentals, holiday villages, apartments, hotels and guest houses which accept dogs.
We advise you contact the establishment direct to check the precise details of their terms and conditions.

Restaurants

If you wish to make the most of one of the restaurants in Pays de Saint Jean de Monts, do you really want to leave your pet locked up in your holiday rental?
Find here a list of restaurants that accept dogs.

Places of interest

Do you want to bring together culture and nature during your holidays and so discover some of the key locations of the Vendée? Do you want to go out for the day without leaving your pet all alone? Check here for the list of places that accept pets.

Kennels

What to do if you lose your pet

First ask around to see if your neighbours have seen it before you contact the Communauté de Communes Ocean-Marais de Monts. Prepare a notebook with your pet’s health information plus any other documents which prove that you are the owner.

The Intercommunal animal pound is a paid for service which follows regulations:

  • Fee for animal: 50€
  • Recurrence: 50€
  • 2nd recurrence: 50€
  • Daily fee for kennel: 10€
  • Identification if the animal has no ID marking or implant device: 50€
  • Cost of veterinary care if the animal is found injured: price on case by case basis

What to do if you find a lost dog

If a lost animal is spotted, it is picked up by the local police and looked after by the town agency then taken to the Communauté de Communes kennels. The Communauté de Communes then sets about tracing the owner. If they’ve not been found within 8 days, the animal is taken to the Noah’s Ark in Challans which is a refuge belonging to APA (Association for the Protection of Animals).

Here are the numbers to call:

  • Centre Technique Intercommunal
    Tel : +33 (0)2 51 59 98 90
  • The municipal polices of your towns:
    – Saint Jean de Monts: municipal police: +33 (0)2 51 59 97 09
    – La Barre de Monts: municipal police: +33 (0)2 51 68 52 31
    – Notre Dame de Monts: town council: +33 (0)2 51 58 83 02
    – Le Perrier: municipal police: +33 (0)2 51 59 97 09
    – Soullans: town council: +33 (0)2 51 68 00 24

Are you getting ready to travel? Here’s a check list of things to remember before you go:

  • The box/cage for transportation – make sure you try it out so that you avoid any nasty surprises on the day of departure
  • Homeopathic treatments to avoid travel sickness (just in case)
  • Vaccination log book up to date
  • Collar tag with contact details
  • Feeding bowl
  • Food
  • An old blanket so that your pet can get comfortable
  • A towel to dry your little doggy after a walk on the beach
  • Dog waste bags to take with you on your walks

We wish you a pleasant stay in Pays de Saint Jean de Monts!