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The legal status of animals has changed in recent years. In the past, they did not benefit from any legal protection whatsoever. Today, domestic animals are recognized as sentient beings. However, game animals are regarded as res nullius, meaning that the animal belongs to the person who has captured it. International law has examined the question of the nature of animals, setting up measures to protect them. France has been influenced by international texts and in 2015 the domestic animal was qualified as a sentient being. For game animals, the situation is different. Several bills have been tabled to offer them greater protection. But today, this designation still does not apply to them. In any case, regulations on waterfowl hunting and trapping, as well as the ban on hunting game at risk of population decline, show that wild animals can be implicitly recognized as sentient beings. Changes are clearly underway, but when they will come to fruition remains to be seen.