The administrative court of Châlons-en-Champagne (51) has ruled. For justice, Rillette can stay with the one who saved and took her in. The 30 Million Friends Foundation – which had pleaded in favor of this solution – urges the Prefect of Aube to issue Elodie Cappé with administrative authorization to keep the animal.
A first victory! The sow Rillette, saved and recovered by a private individual when she was still just a wild boar, “is given another chance” and can stay at home, announced the administrative court of Châlons-en-Champagne in a decision made public on January 16, 2025. Justice granted her adopter, Elodie Cappé, the right to keep this wild boar, collected in 2023 while he was in bad shape. “We are very happy, tenacity has paid off! » reacted Elodie to 30millionsdamis.fr.
The court recalls the possibility of regularizing Rillette’s detention
Since Elodie had come to Rillette's aid, the breeder had tried several times to regularize the sow's situation with the prefectural services. A request rejected by the Prefecture of Aube at the end of November 2024, on the grounds that only animals coming from a breeding of known origin can claim authorization for possession by an individual. At the end of December 2024, the public prosecutor ordered the young woman to entrust the animal “within short notice” to the company of a trainer for the cinema! A decision revealed and denounced by the 30 Million Friends Foundation.
Fortunately, the summary judge – in an order – considered that “the keeping of non-domestic animals does not at any time require that they be born and raised in captivity” and recalls the possibility for the prefect to regularize the detention of a wild boar captured in the wild. During his pleading, Me Karl Burger, lawyer for Elodie Cappé, stressed that the animal welfare conditions were met to keep the wild boar. “Rillette is vaccinated and sterilized. She lives in a secure enclosure from third parties and wild animals. In her enclosure, she has all the comforts”he told AFP. The young woman added that her protégé benefits from a “vast enclosure set up for her, with electric fences”, beyond the standards required to accommodate a wild boar.
-The 30 Million Friends Foundation appeals to the prefect of Aube
On January 3, 2025, the 30 Million Friends Foundation pleaded in favor of issuing an authorization to keep the sow by sending a letter to the prefect of Aube, which has remained unanswered to date. Recalling the possibility of regularizing Rillette's detention, the administrative court of Châlons-en-Champagne suspends in fact the refusal of the prefecture to grant the detention request presented by Elodie Cappé. State services now have one month to re-examine this request. The 30 Million Friends Foundation once again urges the Prefect of Aube to comply, without delay, and to issue the rescuer of Rillette with the precious authorization to hold the sow.
