On this All Saints' Day, dedicated to contemplation, many families find themselves deprived of a place to honor the memory of their deceased companions. Since 2016, the law has prohibited burying your animal at home, imposing costly or impersonal alternatives. A change which, for some Gardois, makes meditation even more difficult.
It rests today under a few olive trees, in the hollow of a corner of the garden. Filou, a large red cat with a naughty look, left in 2015. His owners had adopted him around ten years earlier and had not imagined anything other than offering him his final resting place here. Between the plants that had rocked his naps, near Montfaucon, in the Gard. A scene, intimate, once ordinary, in which many families bereaved by the loss of a four-legged companion have already participated.
But if this type of burial was common, it has now been prohibited since January 1, 2016. And for good reason, a new regulation imposed by the repeal of article L226-4 of the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code formally prohibits any animal burial on private property. The law is strict: “The corpses or parts of animal corpses must be removed within two clear days after receipt of the declaration from the owner or keeper. »
So, in 2019, when Thibaut, a resident of Roquemaure, sadly lost Goliath, his imposing mastiff, to a terrible illness, the idea of giving him a final rest at home was impossible. “With this law, but also given his weight I admit, we had no other choice but to take him to the veterinarian for cremationhe confides. It leaves a bitter memory, the smell in the car…”. Some burial solutions exist for families who choose them, but they are rare.
The Gard department only has one animal cemetery, in Monteils, near Alès. However, when we visited this Thursday, October 31, the site seemed abandoned: double padlocked gate, no contact available. The last visit ofObjective Gard dates back twelve years (read again ici). A lack of information, if indeed there are still traces of life here, associated with the neglected aspect of the places, which makes access to meditation all the more difficult for Gardois in search of a peaceful space to honor the memory of their deceased companions.
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The difficult role of veterinarians
Animal doctors, veterinarians have the difficult task, like doctors with humans, of announcing bad news to families. A very often dreaded moment, as these little four-legged creatures are part of our daily lives, like a full-fledged family member. Mourning takes more or less time depending on each person's feelings, or the bond formed with the animal over the years.
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The Alborghetti veterinarian's office, based in Saint-Christol-lez-Alès, bears witness to these difficult times. “ Telling a family that their pet has died is not easy. It is perhaps a little better when the animal has been kept for a while.explains Kelly, his assistant. Finding the right words is not easy, so it's better to tell the truth: ” When an animal is sick, we explain to the family the possible solutions. We are open to discussion, if it is operable we offer it to them, but we advise them against giving their animal chemotherapy, which is very expensive and less effective than on humans,” she adds.
When the animal is in too much pain, owners would rather agree to let their loved one go by putting them to sleep, so that they don't feel anything. When he dies, he can be entrusted to a veterinarian to be cremated. Note that “throwing the remains of an animal in a trash can, sewer or any other place is prohibited and may be punishable by a fine of €3,750”.
Dr. Alborghetti works in collaboration with “Services pour Animals Domestics” (SAD) in Montpellier, and carries out around 120 cremations per year. “ For a cat without collecting the ashes, it costs 55 euros, five more for a dog,” reveals Kelly. With the ashes, the amount can rise to a maximum of 150 euros.
