It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Dr. med. vet. Brigitte Heufelder-Traenckner, an extraordinary veterinarian, director, founder of TAO-Équilibre in Germany and a founding member of EVSO.
Brigitte Heufelder-Traenckner dedicated her entire professional life to combining veterinary excellence with holistic treatment approaches.
After completing her veterinary studies, earning her doctorate and working at various veterinary clinics, she became a board-certified veterinary surgeon at a time when this specialty was still male dominated.
She recognized the potential of acupuncture early on and later that of osteopathy, completing numerous national and international training and continuing education programs, including courses with Dr. Dominique Giniaux in France.
With the founding of TAO—the Veterinary Academy for Osteopathy Équilibre —in 2007, she established a training center that to this day stands for quality-oriented education.
As an instructor, she inspired countless veterinarians to embrace osteopathy.
One of her former students captured her philosophy best:
"Her goal was to make you better than herself, so that one day the student might surpass the teacher."
Brigitte had the courage to take clear stands and did not walk away from professional discussions. Her thoughts often extended beyond what was immediately apparent. With her life experience and keen intuition, she opened up new perspectives in conversations that extended far beyond the veterinary context.
In 2012, together with dedicated colleagues, she was one of the co-founders of the European Veterinary Society of Osteopathy (EVSO). As Secretary General and later Vice President, she played a decisive role in shaping the development of our society.
With great personal dedication, she advocated for high educational standards, international networking and the recognition of veterinary osteopathy as a quality-assured specialty.Her foresight, perseverance, and tireless commitment have left a lasting mark on the EVSO.
Another significant step was the TAO's close collaboration with the German Society for Osteopathic Medicine (DGOM) beginning in 2015. This partnership —in whose establishment and developmentBrigitte Heufelder-Traenckner played a key role—contributed significantly to further enhancing the quality of training, promoting interdisciplinary exchange and firmly establishing osteopathy within veterinary medicine.
Those who had the privilege of working with Brigitte remember her extraordinary combination of professional precision and inexhaustible curiosity.
She was convinced that lifelong learning, scientific openness and collegial exchange form the foundation of good osteopathic medicine.
With her passing, veterinary osteopathy has lost one of its influential figures.
Her legacy lives on in the many veterinarians she trained and mentored, in the institutions she helped establish and in the high standards of quality she championed with such passion.
The members, the Committee, and all veterinary companions of the European Veterinary Society of Osteopathy (EVSO) will honor the memory of Dr. Med. vet. Brigitte Heufelder-Traenckner.
Our deepest sympathies go out to her family, her friends and all those who were connected to her personally and professionally.
In grateful memory,
Anna Henning
and on behalf of the European Veterinary Society of Osteopathy (EVSO®)