Story By: Ernest Bio Bogore, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

A French farmer has been slammed for tying a cow to a lamppost outside a Paris restaurant as part of a promotion for the breed.

Guy Chautard, a cow breeder from Puy-de-Dome department in the Auvergne region in France, tied up the cow outside the La Ferrandaise restaurant owned by Gilles Lamiot in the 6th arrondissement of the French capital Paris.

The farmer decided to tie up the cow named Areine “to promote the Ferrandaise breed” a few hours ahead of the Paris International Agricultural Show.

Images show the cow tied to a lamppost on the road in front of the restaurant and animal association ’30 million d’amis’ (’30 million friends’) said on social media that it had “made a report to the veterinary services” whilst others called for a boycott of the restaurant.

Farmer Chautard, for his part, does not understand the controversy, saying: “This small operation was intended to publicise the Ferranda breed, which almost disappeared. It is a genetic heritage to be rediscovered.”

He assured that his animal wanted for nothing during its short stay in front of the Parisian restaurant.

The farmer defended his work and his animals, “which eat grass and not oil”. He invited visitors to the Paris International Agricultural Show (Salon de l’Agriculture) to go and admire Areine and see for themselves that the Ferrandaise cow was in perfect health.

Gilles Lamiot says he is “indifferent” to this type of criticism. He said: “The main thing is that the people who came tell me that it’s nice. Even the cars stop to take a photo, the children are happy.”

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