Nothing predisposed her to become “Dr Death ”or the“ Body bag lady ”of her profession. Yet a dozen years ago, the DD Céline Leheurteux got tired of hiding from her clients after euthanasia, as if she worked for the mafia. “I use ultra precise equipment, urinary catheters, corneal sutures, digital x-rays, but I have nothing to deposit a dead animal. I legally slipped thousands of bodies into garbage bags. I don’t look like that, do I? “
The adequate material was lacking to him to accompany this delicate moment when the biological fluids leak and the owner of the animal breaks down, in tears. The 45-year-old veterinarian practiced in Montérégie, where she treats small and large animals. She had to learn the science of death “on the dung heap”.
“We have not received any training at the faculty for that. We are trained to save lives, not to kill, ”she tells me in a video exchange from a village in Doubs, France, where she has settled with her family for the next year. “I received courses on anesthesia, but nothing on euthanasia. Choosing the right molecules and the right dosage is a science. I broke my ass for 15 years before I figured out the best way. “
Man is an animal which has the faculty of sometimes thinking of death
The DD Leheurteux felt its veins before coming across the maid; it has appeased owners hesitating to condemn a suffering animal, even by anesthesia. “In the wild, they would die from predators or from inability to feed. We all hope our animal will go to sleep, but this is unusual. The feeling of guilt is great, and the decision is left hanging around. The animal is 15 years old, but we don’t want to take away half a day of its life… Our role is also to guide people because they no longer have any perspective. Loss of quality of life is not just about losing your appetite. “
It takes courage to shorten the sufferings of this beloved life companion. “To help him, you have to pound on yourself, says the DD Leheurteux. You have to accept your ordeal. »Which translates into loss, sometimes loneliness, a great void, immense pain.
Accept death
In a society that hides the finality and where no one is prepared for the mourning of an animal, Céline Leheurteux has developed a body bag, on the market for six years and sold in 25 countries to veterinary clinics. For three million pets in Quebec, 300,000 euthanasies are performed per year, sometimes in the fog of improvisation. “I saw some, big six-foot guys curled up in a ball screaming on the exam room floor saying ‘Cuddle, I didn’t cry the same for my mom.’ I have to be strong. It reassures them, ”thinks the DD Leheurteux.
The veterinarian admits to finding the last hour care very rewarding and overwhelming. “It’s beautiful, it’s intense, very intimate. You never get as many thanks as for euthanasia. We send you gifts, cards, photos. One day, I had a man collapsed in front of Tigars, 12, whom I put to sleep. He was moaning “Go join him.” His dog Tigars was all that was left to witness his son being hit by a train behind the house. It was all that was left of his son alive. She wasn’t going to put the dog in a green bag. “In veterinary medicine, everything is so technical, precise, benevolent, and given that it is the only aspect of our work that we cannot show. The only ! I felt at odds with our core values. “
Today, the Euthabag, a sober and hygienic shroud, is available in five sizes, from guinea pig to Great Dane. “As if to have a child – she has three – I naively embarked on the adventure of entrepreneurial life. Celine Leheurteux even convinced the “Dragons” when she appeared on their show in 2018. According to a recent study, only 15.6% of pet owners find the garbage bag acceptable as a way of disposing of their pet before the event. cremation or burial.
A particular mourning
The DD Marie-Claude Leblanc performed more than a thousand euthanasies during her career in Montreal, and her clinic was one of the first to adopt the body bag even if it cost her an additional $ 25 to $ 40 in costs. “I don’t feel the need to tell clients that. I don’t need to extend my clear conscience that far. You want so much to do the right things and say the right words during euthanasia. The trash bag cut it dry. It’s too symbolic, too loaded. The cover adds a respectful touch, and I owe that to my technicians too. I remember the muzzle of my own dog sticking out of the garbage bag… ”
You are no longer where you were, but you are everywhere where I am
The DD Leblanc took an interest in this particularly heartbreaking form of mourning. “Animal mourning is sometimes more difficult than for a human. It is a bond of unconditional love. There is no animosity or resentment. It is a precious relationship and a benevolent gaze. I have read a lot about mourning; you have to live it, and be calm! Veterinarians, we are at the forefront of this pain. We are not prepared for this in our training. “
Céline Leheurteux’s team tries to help veterinarians reduce everyone’s stress and provide training on this crucial step. She herself, after having seen her father suffering from cancer die of dehydration in a hospital seven years ago, wishes to die like an animal: “I saw my father in the suffering and loss of dignity he feared. so much so that ethically I could never allow an animal like that to suffer. I would like to die like a dog, without pain, without stress and surrounded by the people I love. It is a fundamental right of which I hope not to be deprived. “