The cat Maya in her kennel at the Park Veterinary Clinic in Maisons-Laffitte, November 18, 2025. GUILLAUME BLOT FOR LE MONDE
One thousand euros! Stunned by the estimate, Mahaut Rabattu slumped into her chair. The day before, her daughters' little dog, Patapouf, had been hit by a car. Now, she faced the impossibility of paying for his surgery. After a few moments of reflection, the woman in her 40s resigned herself: "I can't pay. I'll have to abandon him," she told the veterinarian, tears in her eyes. Shocked by this drastic decision, the veterinarian looked around the room for support.
"Stop!" called out a woman standing in the corner. "Let's pause here. Let's think about what's happening and how to respond," she continued, casting a broad glance at the dozen students seated around her. Welcome to the practitioner-client simulation classes at the Alfort National Veterinary School in a southeastern Paris suburb, run for the past 10 years by Dr. Hélène Rose. These are role-play sessions in which a professional actor plays the client opposite a fourth-year student.
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