"Les Chats Libres de Béziers" Ordered to Vacate Shelter, Future of 250 Cats in Jeopardy
The animal protection group "Les Chats Libres de Béziers" has been ordered to leave the land it has occupied for 12 years in Villeneuve-lès-Béziers, in the south of France. The decision, issued by the court on March 18, 2025, gives the organization one year to vacate the premises or face forced eviction and daily financial penalties.
Located in a protected flood zone
The shelter, which takes in more than 600 abandoned cats each year, is situated on land classified as both a flood zone and part of the protected Natura 2000 network. According to urban planning regulations, permanent structures such as the shelter’s enclosures, infirmaries, and cat housing units are not permitted.
Two years ago, the shelter was partially destroyed by a fire. Now, it faces complete dismantlement. All infrastructure is set to be demolished, effectively ending the association’s ability to operate.
Volunteers stretched to the limit
The 30 volunteers of the shelter, often called upon by local authorities and law enforcement to collect stray or injured animals, are devastated. Each year, the organization sterilizes around 1,200 cats and houses 250 to 300 at a time.
“This past weekend, the gendarmerie asked us to intervene,” said Nathalie Chartrain, president of the shelter, in an interview with Ici Hérault radio. “We will stop responding to calls, except for injured cats. You can’t forbid us from existing while asking us for help. But we will never stop saving animals in need. That’s in our DNA.”
No alternative location in sight
Despite years of searching, the association has yet to find a new location. With time running out, they are issuing a public appeal to elected officials in the Béziers area for help. They are also calling on families who could adopt or temporarily foster some of the 250 cats currently under their care.
“We’ve done everything humanly possible to preserve this place,” said Chartrain. “It’s been a refuge for the most vulnerable, a place where abandoned animals had a chance to find love and a home. Without the installations, there is no refuge.”
For information or to offer help, the association can be reached by phone at +33 6 12 91 88 19 or by email at chatslibresdebeziers34@gmail.com.
Shelter by the numbers (annual)
- 250 to 300 cats housed at any given time
- 1,200 sterilizations and identifications
- 200 to 300 cats released back into monitored sites after care
- 600 kittens placed in foster homes and adopted each year
- 600 total adoptions annually
- €150,000 in operating costs (veterinary care, food, logistics)
- Hundreds of operations and thousands of medical treatments provided on site or in clinics
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