A Problem with your Dog?

Nr 1 – December 2006, page 9
Real Life — A Problem with your Dog?
A very useful contact: the SPA
For 150 years, the SPA or Société Protectrice des Animaux (the French
equivalent of RSPCA, or SPCA), constantly strives to assure the protection and
the defence of animals in France. You may need them for the following reasons:
- If you’ve lost your pet.
- If you have found a stray pet.
- If you want to adopt a dog or a cat.
- To report any animal abuse.
You have lost your animal, what can you do?
If your animal is tattooed, you will have a greater chance of finding it again. As soon as you
are aware of his/her disappearance, you should immediately:
- inform the animal shelter in your municipality as well as the closest SPA. Sometimes the
animal shelter and the SPA are in the same place.
- inform also the police (commissariat or gendarmerie), as well as the veterinarians in the
neighbourhood.
- inform the “Société centrale canine” if you have lost a tattooed dog: 01 49 37 54 54, or the
“Fichier national félin” if you have lost a tattooed cat: 01 55 01 08 08.
- Put up fliers in local shops, in mailboxes, and offer a reward…
You have found an animal, what should you do?
If the animal is tattooed, note precisely the tattoo number, situated most of the time inside an
ear, sometimes inside a thigh for dogs. If the tattoo is difficult to read, you can clean the ear
with some alcohol, then place a bright light behind the ear, which should help you to read the
tattoo. Then get in touch with one of the organizations that keep national data bases of such
tattoos:
- for dogs: the Société centrale canine: 01.49.37.54.54.
- for cats: the Fichier national félin: 01.55.01.08.08.
Theses organisations will identify the owner of the animal. If the animal is not tattooed, and
if he/she does not have a collar or a metal tag with the owner’s address, you have two
solutions:
1 - Take the animal to the local animal shelter.
2 – Keep the animal with you in your home (if you prefer to keep your protégé away from the
cages of the animal shelter ) and begin to do some research on your own. Nevertheless, make
sure to call the SPA and give them a complete description of the animal you have found. Also
warn the police (commissariat or gendarmerie), as well as the veterinarians in the
neighbourhood. And again, don’t hesitate to put up posters in the stores in the
neighbourhood, in mailboxes...
If you want to adopt a pet
You should contact the nearest SPA. A brief investigation by the adoption agency will be
made by the voluntary investigators of the SPA. You will need to show an ID card, a
document certifying your residency (i.e. an electric or telephone bill), a document certifying
your income.
You will also be asked for a financial contribution: about 80 to 100 € for a cat and 125 to 145
€ for a dog.
Vincent Anthonioz
To report any animal abuse, call the nearest SPA:
SPA website (in French) : www.spa.asso.fr
Useful expressions
J’ai perdu mon chien/chat: I’ve lost my dog/cat.
Il a disparu depuis trois jours = He has been gone for three days.
Le numéro de son tatouage est… /His tattoo number is…
J’ai trouvé un chien/chat = I have found a dog/cat.
Il est brun/noir/blanc = He’s brown/black/white.
Il est grand/petit= He’s big/small.
Il n’est pas tatoué = He’s not tattooed.
Vous pouvez m’appeler au… = You can call me at…
Scénario: urgences animaux
1) Appeler le vétérinaire
1) Calling the veterinarian
Véto : Allo, ici le cabinet du vétérinaire.
Vous : Bonjour. Je vous appelle car mon
chien est blessé.
Véto : Qu’est ce qu’il a (où a-t-il mal ?)
Vous : Il a mal à la patte.
Véto : Comment c’est arrivé ?
Vous : Il s’est fait mordre par un autre chien.
Véto : Est-ce qu’il arrive à marcher ?
Vous : Oui, il arrive à marcher, mais il boite
et il saigne.
Véto : Est-ce que vous pouvez me l’amener ?
Vous : Je ne sais pas si c’est possible.
Pouvez-vous venir chez moi ?
Véto : Je ne peux pas venir tout de suite, je
pense que c’est mieux si vous pouvez
l’amener maintenant au cabinet.
Vous : D’accord, j’arrive tout de suite.
Vet: Hello, veterinary office.
You: Good morning/afternoon, I’m calling
because my dog is injured.
Vet: What’s the matter? (where is he hurt?).
You: His leg hurts.
Vet: How did it happen?
You: He was bitten by another dog.
Vet: Can he walk?
You: Yes, he can walk but he’s limping and
he’s bleeding.
Vet: Can you bring him in to the office?
You: I don’t know if it is possible. Can you
come to my place?
Vet: I can’t come right now, I think that it is
better if you bring him now.
You: Ok, I’m coming now.
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2) Chez le vétérinaire
2) At the veterinary office
Vous : Bonjour, j’ai téléphoné tout à l’heure,
mon chien est blessé et je dois voir le
vétérinaire rapidement.
Véto : Il est occupé pour l’instant, il va
falloir attendre un peu.
Vous : Mais c’est urgent, mon chien saigne!
Véto : D’accord, je vais lui dire que vous
êtes là.
Vous : Merci.
Véto : Venez Madame, il va vous recevoir
tout de suite.
Vous : Merci beaucoup.
Véto : Bonjour Madame, nous allons mettre
votre chien sur la table. Est-ce qu’il est
vacciné ?
Vous : Oui.
Véto : Je vais lui faire une piqûre et ensuite
je prendrai une radio.
Vous : D’accord.
Véto : (Après la radio) Il a la jambe cassée,
je vais devoir le garder un peu.
Vous : Est-ce que vous devez le garder toute
la nuit ?
Véto : Non, juste quelques heures.
Vous : Et ensuite, ça va aller ?
Véto : Oui, nous allons lui mettre un bandage
et une attelle et dans trois semaines il sera
rétabli.
Vous : Ah, très bien. Combien est ce que ça
va coûter ?
Véto : Environ 150 €.
Vous : D’accord, merci beaucoup docteur.
You: Good morning, I called earlier, my dog
is injured and I need to see the veterinary
right away.
Vet: He’s busy at the moment, you will have
to wait a little bit.
You: But it’s urgent, my dog is bleeding a
lot!
Vet: OK, I will tell him that you are here.
You: Thank you.
Vet: Please come in, Madam, he will see you
now.
You: Thank you very much.
Vet: Good morning, Madam. We’re going
to put your dog on the table. Has he been
vaccinated?
You: Yes.
Vet: I will give him a shot and than take an
x-ray.
You: OK.
Vet: (After the x-ray) His leg is broken, and I
will have to keep him a little while.
You: Do you have to keep him all night?
Vet: No, just for a few hours.
You: And after, will he be OK?
Vet: Yes, we will put a bandage on him and
a splint, and in three weeks, he will be better.
You: Oh great, how much is it going to cost?
Vet: About 150 €.
You: OK, thank you very much, doctor.
Other useful sentences
Mon chien est malade = My dog is sick.
Mon chien a eu un accident = My dog had an accident.
Il a du mal à respirer = He has difficulty breathing.
Il a une épine dans la patte = He has a thorn (splinter) in his leg.
Il a perdu connaissance = He’s unconscious.
Il ne mange plus = He’s not eating anymore.
Mon chien a cinq mois et il faut le faire castrer = My dog is five months old and he needs to
be castrated.
Je crois qu'il a mangé du poison = I think he ate some poison.
Je crois qu'il reçu une balle = I think he’s been shot.
Je crois qu'on lui a tiré dessus = I think someone shot him.
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Stériliser = To sterilise
C’est une urgence = It's an emergency.
C'est très grave = It’s very serious.
Il est vacciné = He's been vaccinated.
Est-ce qu'il a vomi ? = Has he vomited?
Est ce qu'il a mal ? = Is he in any pain?
Il faut l'opérer = He needs an operation (We’ll have to operate on him).
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