Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire announced on Instagram that 13 more parks, squares and gardens now welcome dogs on a lead, joining 165 already open to them in a city of roughly 100,000 dog owners
Les Chiens Entrent Au Jardin
PARIS. The City of Paris has opened 13 more parks, squares and gardens to dogs on a lead, according to Sortiraparis on the 13 new parks and squares accessible to leashed dogs. Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire announced the change on Instagram on June 25, 2026. The new sites, which include the Square de la Tour Saint-Jacques, the Square d’Anvers, the Parc de Passy and the Jardins des Grands Moulins, join 165 parks and gardens already open to dogs. The article cites about 100,000 dog owners in Paris.
The announcement was greeted with joy by dogs, cautious acceptance by joggers and outrage from the city’s pigeons, who have occupied these gardens for centuries and were not consulted.
The Pigeon Lobby
A retired bookseller who feeds pigeons daily in the Square de la Tour Saint-Jacques said the birds were visibly concerned. They held a meeting on the statue this morning, he said. Very loud. Very disorganised. Like the National Assembly, but with more feathers. I think they are drafting a petition. I do not think the mayor will read it. It is mostly droppings.
Dog owners, by contrast, were jubilant. A graphic designer in the 9th arrondissement said her spaniel had waited years for access to the Square d’Anvers. Every day we walked past the gate, she said. He would look through the railings like a prisoner looking at freedom. Now he goes in, sniffs every bench, greets every child and comes home exhausted and happy. It is the best urban policy I have seen in my life.
Instagram Governance
The fact that the announcement came via Instagram did not surprise Parisians, who have grown accustomed to discovering important civic information between photographs of pastries and holiday sunsets. A political scientist at Sciences Po said the format suits the subject. Nothing performs better on social media than a dog in a park, she said. If you want an announcement to reach everyone in Paris, put a dog in it. Budget reforms should try this. Every chart should have a dachshund.
The Leash Rule
Dogs must remain on a lead in the new spaces, a rule that owners largely accept and dogs largely resent. A dog trainer in the 15th arrondissement predicted some negotiation. The dog sees grass, birds and other dogs, she said. The owner sees a sign that says on a lead. It is a classic Parisian conflict between freedom and regulation. In the end, as always, everyone will find a compromise involving a little bit of illegal running.
Living Together
The expansion reflects a long-standing debate about how a dense city shares its limited green space between children, older residents, sports enthusiasts and animals. A grandmother who brings her grandchildren to a square in the 20th arrondissement said she welcomed dogs, provided their owners clean up after them. We have enough surprises on the pavements of Paris, she said. In the park, I would like to sit without studying the ground like an archaeologist.
The Last Word
In the Parc de Passy, a golden retriever on a long lead approached a bench where three pigeons sat in a row. The dog wagged. The pigeons stared. For a long moment nobody moved. Then the dog lay down, rested its head on its paws and simply watched them. One pigeon cooed. Nobody won, said the owner, laughing. It was very Parisian. Everybody stayed exactly where they were and pretended not to care.