Her September 11, Nathalie Bessette experienced it on March 9, 2021. The day her house in Iberville collapsed, consumed by flames. And as if the nightmare of a fire wasn’t enough, his three dogs vanished into the wild. A great outpouring of solidarity, catalyzed by the Proanima refuge, snowballed to find the runaways.
That winter morning, Maki was circling madly in her home, moaning. Alerted by this unusual agitation of her young husky, her owner peeked outside, only to find in dismay that the neighboring house was consumed by flames. The animal had captured the terrorized complaints of the three dogs trapped in the home.
At the scene, the firefighters rescued the trio and fought the flames, which ended up having the upper hand. The house of Nathalie Bessette, who was at work during the tragedy, was devastated. And its occupant, devastated: she had built it with her father and had lived there for 29 years. To this shock was added another torment: her dogs Kynouk, Kyra and Lili, to whom she cares like the apple of her eye, probably injured, had taken flight.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NATHALIE BESSETTE
The house she had built and lived in for almost 30 years has been totally lost.
“My dogs, I was there when they were born, it’s almost like my children”, explains Mme Bessette, who immediately started looking for them, being able to count on the help of residents very early on, as well as the Proanima refuge, which serves the South Shore. “They were like mad, disoriented, they were going through fields, rivers, Route 133 which is very busy, coming back. Many people were running after them, but they were running away, ”recalls the disaster victim. It took up to five hours to finally succeed in grappling with Kynouk and Kyra.
As if that weren’t enough, going to get clothes for her mother, M’s daughterme Bessette, pregnant, was hit in a car on the road and transported by ambulance to a hospital. More fear than harm, but the accident added even more fuel to the anxiety.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NATHALIE BESSETTE
The three traumatized dogs were elusive. Hunted by many volunteers, Lili wandered for nearly a week.
Meanwhile, Lili, the third husky, was still missing. Hours passed, then nights, and it was impossible to find the runaway. His absence haunted his mistress, to the point of relegating the loss of her roof to the background.
My dogs, that’s what worried me the most about that. The house is just material.
Nathalie Bessette
“I was flipping over. Some evenings, I heard the wind blowing and I told myself that she was alone, outside, somewhere. It didn’t make sense, ”recalls its owner, who confides in spoiling his dogs, subscribers to the living room sofa.
Hundreds of supporters
A huge outpouring of mutual aid quickly began to give him a kick. Her ex-husband issued wanted notices and scoured the surroundings of Iberville. The Proanima refuge, alerted, made it possible to multiply efforts by soliciting a wave of support on social networks. With success: dozens, then hundreds of people began to monitor streets and fields, informing the shelter or the owner as soon as they thought they saw Lili. According to Mme Bessette, from 200 to 300 people assisted in the research. But the dog, completely confused and traumatized, slipped like an eel.
SCREENSHOT
According to Mme Bessette, from 200 to 300 people assisted in the research.
It took six days before Nathalie Bessette’s daughter located her near a wood, ready to escape, her coat black with soot, burns to her paws. A cohort of volunteers was formed to surround and guide her. At the sight of her mistress, she lay on her back and refused to come forward. It was ultimately a good, well-built Samaritan who carried her at arm’s length safely.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NATHALIE BESSETTE
The day she was found, Lili was black with soot.
Relocation difficult
The disaster victim does not have the words to express her gratitude to all those who helped her overcome this ordeal and find her dogs. They vomited soot for days, but are now very healthy.
However, she was not at the end of her troubles, because her temporary relocation, with three large dogs sometimes annoying for her hosts, was another challenge. By seeking to accommodate them in institutions, the door was closed to him. “In vain I said that I had passed through the fire, with the pandemic, no one wanted to welcome them. Everyone replied that it was closed temporarily or that they only took small dogs ”, deplores Mme Bessette, who will finally find her salvation at the Wouf Inn in East Farnham.
For her, it is impossible to come back to live in the neighborhood she has always known, reviving the painful memories of these events. Instead, she chose to relocate to the area around Lac-Mégantic to turn the page. With his three dogs saved, the feeling of having lost everything was reduced. Because insurance can reimburse your goods, they will never be able to resuscitate your dogs.
To read tomorrow: Aging and dying in a shelter