Cherished like members of the family or victims of mistreatment and wandering, pets experience opposite realities in Reunion. However, the trend seems to be towards improvement in overall care. In some homes, pets are even at the heart of daily concerns. Treats, games, childcare… nothing is too good to satisfy these lordly-status furballs (Photo: www.imazpress.com)
“They are an integral part of our family.” Maxime, father of a 2-year-old boy from Reunion, talks about Lassie and Laïka, his two little dogs whom he cherishes like his own flesh. Both picked up from the streets at a very young age, they gradually took their place within the family home. It was his wife, Lucie, who convinced him to adopt them to give them a better life. “At the time we didn’t have Noah, our little boy. But his arrival didn’t change the love we have for them,” confides the couple.
Like them, many Reunion Islanders take a liking to their faithful and loving life companions. However, it is more animal abuse that is highlighted in Reunion, a major subject of concern for animal protection associations. Legislation has also become tougher in the face of the phenomenon, far from being new or specific to the department of Reunion alone.
– Improved support –
The fact, publicly or not, of carrying out serious abuse or committing an act of cruelty towards a domestic animal or a wild animal tamed or held in captivity, is punishable by 3 years in prison and a fine of €45,000. When the facts lead to the death of the animal, the penalties are increased to five years of imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros.
Joëlle Forbes, veterinarian at the Montagne clinic, returned to Reunion 20 years ago to practice. According to her, “for a long time, there has been a certain form of neglect towards the companion animal, out of ignorance.” Over the years, the doctor has observed a clear improvement in the overall care of animals. “Children play a role in this development. Often they are the ones who want pets and are willing to take care of them.”
Read also – Pets: prices are rising, so is the threat of abandonment
On the other hand, the veterinarian notes that the situation is struggling to improve in terms of wandering. “There are entrenched ideas, such as opening the gate and letting your dog go about its business. Added to this are old beliefs, difficult to contradict, such as the fact that if a female dog is sterilized, she will not holds court more.” An observation shared by Jean Luc Mignot, the president of the SPA of La Réunion.
According to him, wandering is not decreasing. On the contrary, it is fueled by the number of abandonments which remains very high on the island. At the same time, adoptions are down 30%. “We currently record 600 dog adoptions and between 750 and 800 cat adoptions per year,” confides the animal rights defender. “This corresponds to the number of animals we recover from pounds.” Although the majority of adoptions take place on the island, between 200 and 250 dogs are adopted each year thanks to collaboration with a shelter in France.
– A special place in hearts…and the budget –
Main reason given for this significant drop: the cost of food and hygiene products. Indeed, quality food is expensive even though it has a fundamental impact on the health of the animal. A diet based on low-cost products increases the risk of illness and therefore visits to the veterinarian. Which are also expensive. In France, on average, more than 900 euros are spent each year by pet owners to care for and feed them.
Financial considerations are therefore at the heart of families' concerns. Joëlle Forbes testifies to the fact that “more and more people are asking what care will cost”. Payment in installments is very popular. Due to lack of resources, owners are also skipping vaccines. A bad calculation according to Joëlle Forbes. “It costs more to treat the disease than to pay for the vaccine.”
Because having an animal represents a cost and a responsibility, and this for several years. Despite this, compulsive dog purchases are not decreasing. “Sometimes modest people buy purebred dogs which are very expensive,” explains the veterinarian. Tang hunting dogs cost 2000 euros. Do all the owners take good care of them though? doctor. Joëlle Forbes, however, welcomes the political progress achieved in recent days.
– Amendments to limit abandonments –
Indeed, in a general context of high cost of living, particularly in Reunion, REV deputy Aymeric Caron proposed three amendments during the examination of the finance bill for 2025. Two of them were adopted by the Assembly national. The first reduces VAT on food and hygiene products for animals and on veterinary products and services from 20 to 5.5%.
These measures are directly aimed at combating the abandonment of animals for financial reasons and at facilitating adoptions in shelters. The second allows shelters and animal protection associations to be exempt from VAT for food and hygiene products and for veterinary products and services. The state would like to compensate for the losses with taxes on animal testing and hunters.
Read also – Humans, you deserve a vacation… so do your animals
This reduction in VAT would allow the SPA to save 2.5 million euros per year. Excellent news for Jean Luc Mignot who nevertheless hopes “that the brands will play the game and not take advantage of it to simply increase their margins.” Indeed, it is the sine qua non condition for reducing household budgets and encouraging adoption. Because more and more families, due to lack of means, prefer not to take pets.
“The adopted animal is an integral part of the family,” adds the president of the association. “Its arrival is considered. We spend a lot of time with the people who adopt to explain the needs of each person and to ensure that all conditions are met. fulfilled for the happiness of the animal.” A notion of happiness which is also measured by the rise of pet-sitting on the island. On the France travail website, advertisements to create your own business and become an independent Pet Sitter are popping up and concern all towns in the Department.
– Caring for your pet, a practice that is growing –
Pets-service 974 initiated pet sitting services on the island 13 years ago. The company sees demand increasing. To respond to this, people offer their services illegally via offers on social networks, without being declared or trained. A risk that Solène, resident of Saint-Gilles, did not wish to take. For two years she has used the services of an independent pet-sitter to come and look after her three cats when she is not at home.
“I have total confidence in her,” she confides. “My cats have gotten used to having them come and visit them in my absence, whether to give food, change the water, or administer medication. or just give them some company.” To be reassured, more and more pet owners are also investing in cameras. And technology has no shortage of ideas. Certain devices now allow you to talk to the animal remotely and even distribute kibble on request. For cats, cameras can integrate games to prevent animals from getting bored.
– Animal kings… and network stars –
Devices that are expensive but can reassure owners. Cat trees, toys, treats, accessories… spoiling your pet also means treating yourself. Marielle Maillot, owner of the grooming salon l'île toutous in Saint-Denis, notes that the demand for aesthetics is also growing.
Established since 1994, it has a regular clientele. She has seen no less than three generations come and go over the past 30 years. Added to the faithful, a new clientele, with slightly different demands but with the same consideration for their animals. “Everyone who comes to my house has unconditional love for their companions in life,” confides the groomer. “They see the consideration I give to animals, so they feel comfortable speaking freely about the love they have. for them.”
Owners who, in Reunion as elsewhere, do not hesitate to display their companions. As such, the number of animal videos on networks has exploded. Advice, humor, tenderness, behavioral analyses… animals are also kings on the networks. Some even become “stars” and are followed daily by several million followers. Influencers also do not hesitate to show their endless passion for their pets. And their grief after a loss.
– Losing your pet hurts –
The Réunion SPA also notes that many adopters come after the loss of an animal. Jean Luc Mignot judges that “it is often a way of filling sadness, even if adoption is not necessarily immediate just after the loss. There is often a period of mourning, and the feeling of betraying one's deceased animal by “replacing” it too quickly.”
Mourning is also a less and less taboo subject. Many owners keep a bowl of food, a necklace, or a piece of horse hair for years. Often mocked, sadness after the loss of a companion gradually tends to become normalized. Even if in Reunion, mourning is complicated by regulations. Unlike other countries, burial in a family vault is not authorized in France.
Throwing the remains into a trash can, sewer or any other place is prohibited and can be punished with a fine of €3,750. It is also prohibited to bury an animal yourself, especially in your garden. The departmental health regulations, dating from 1992, require the remains to be buried more than 35m from homes, with certain precautions.
– Still no cemeteries or animal crematoriums on the island –
Apart from this, burial of animals is only permitted in animal cemeteries. But there is none in Reunion. No more than a crematorium for small animals. There remains rendering, which requires the remains to be disposed of at the veterinarian or by depositing them in the pounds. The president of the SPA knows to what extent mourning is further complicated by the impression of “abandoning” the animal by entrusting the remains to a third party.
Manuréva Lebreton, a home veterinarian, is regularly contacted for purposes of living at home. The owners appreciate that “their animals leave peacefully, in their environment, at home”. For several years, she has been carrying out a crematorium project. But without success.
Indeed, there are numerous regulatory constraints linked in particular to the location. A location seemed to match but during the studies, it turned out that certain criteria were not met. Another location was found in the south of the island, but the town hall immediately pre-empted it. Currently the project is at a standstill. To the great regret of many animal owners who would like more involvement from public authorities on the subject.
pb/www.imazpress.com/[email protected]
Reunion Island News, Pets
