C'is a kind of hotel for animals. This 70 m² building is located within the grounds of La Belle Isle, an accommodation establishment for dependent elderly people (Ehpad) in Libourne. Inaugurated this Tuesday, December 3, this structure called Ehpanimal can accommodate up to eight dogs and ten cats. But everyone at home obviously. The canine area and the feline area are separated by sliding glass doors and a room dedicated to animal mediation which can act as an airlock.
Subject to availability, residents will be able to spend the day, mainly in their room, with the pet who shared their daily life before their arrival in this 114-bed nursing home managed by the Libourne Hospital Center.
A 400 m² walking area has also been set up for dogs. To do their business and frolic, they will be accompanied by their respective owners or by one of the twenty volunteers excited by this pilot project, or even by both together. For their part, the cats have the possibility of coming and going as they please, their room, both cozy and fun, being connected to an outdoor but screened play area by a cat flap whose opening is triggered by the chip. electronics that they will all wear.
Notably present at the inauguration on December 3 were Alain Rousset, the president of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, as well as Philippe Buisson, the mayor of Libourne.
Thierry David / SO
Trial period
“The idea is that the animals spend the majority of their time with the residents in the nursing home,” explains Yves Mori, volunteer, who coordinated the operation. At 7:30 p.m., these faithful companions will return to sleep at the Ehpanimal, the dogs in comfortable boxes, the cats on the cushions of their choice.
“The idea is that the animals spend the majority of their time with the residents in the nursing home”
The reception arrangements are detailed in a protocol. “There are animals that do not lend themselves to community life,” notes Yves Mori. A one-month trial period is planned. If the animal does not adapt, the family of the resident concerned undertakes to take it back. There are currently only two residents, on the cat side, females, Grisette, 5 years old, and Kalanak, 15 years old. “It means black nose in Hindi,” says Marie-Claude, 78 years old. Wanting to keep her close to her, this new resident chose La Belle Isle precisely for that. “Kalanak has a good temperament, she doesn't do stupid things, doesn't scratch, doesn't bite. »
Food and expenses covered
Three people with “reduced disabilities” were recruited for the occasion. These employees will be present to take care of the animals, feed them, take the dogs out as well and clean these premises from 7:30 a.m. to 10:40 a.m., then from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., relayed in the meantime by volunteers. On the dog side, there is a suitable bathtub. Feeding, grooming, basic veterinary costs, such as vaccinations or anti-parasitic treatments, are covered. The cost contribution is 60 euros per month, except for residents who cannot afford it.
Thierry David / SO
Residents will thus be able to spend the day, mainly in their room, with the pet who shared their daily life before their arrival in this nursing home.
At the origin of this innovation, there is a man, Marc Prikazksy, CEO of Ceva Santé Animale, an international company headquartered in Libourne. His idea took shape through discussions with an association that campaigns for this cause, Terpta, an acronym for a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “You are forever responsible for what you have tamed. » This trained veterinarian has associated two other companies with this sponsorship, committed over three years, Purina and Cheops Technology, based in Canéjan.
Positive effects on health
“Coming to a nursing home is heartbreaking for the person who is going to leave their home,” underlines Nicolas Leroy-Fleuriot, CEO of Cheops Technology. If you are also forced to separate from your animal, it is unbearable. » All those involved in this national first underline the extent to which preserving this emotional bond with a pet in a nursing home can have positive effects on “the physical and mental health and well-being of elderly people”. This right is now enshrined in the “Aging Well” law of April 8, 2024. La Belle Isle staff had been consulted beforehand.
Thierry David / SO
The structure called Ehpanimal can accommodate up to eight dogs and ten cats.
Marc Prikazksy hopes that this example, which will be the subject of studies, will inspire other establishments in France: “The important thing is to show that it is achievable. Here, there is a park, it's easier. What to do in town? But if half of nursing homes already welcome animals, people will be able to choose. »
Work of the Hobo architectural firm and Falco Construction Bois, the building represented an investment of around 300,000 euros. The endowment fund created by the Libourne Hospital Center served as a framework for this partnership. “It’s a very nice experiment,” considers Christian Soubie, the general director of the Nord-Gironde hospitals. We would like to be able to develop it at our eight other locations. »
