Mechteld - Veterinarian

My name is Mechteld,

As a little girl, pets were always a part of our household. I can’t imagine a family complete without a pet. My first pets were two cats that my parents brought from Cairo, they were very sweet Siamese with round faces. Because they were so sweet we always let them figure in all our puppet shows and they always slept in our bed.

I always wanted to be a vet, but my horse’s vet said the profession really wasn’t waiting for girls like me.

I believed him and decided to study Italian in Groningen and later in Italy and to think about what I wanted.

In Italy, as a nineteen-year-old student, someone offered me a puppy on the street. As young and naive as I was, I got my first dog: Stella. Still, it was one of the best choices of my life. She was my best friend and companion. She also experienced my first two pregnancies. She has now taught me a great lesson about letting go and she is no longer here.

In the end, after my studies in Italy, I moved to Belgium because I was selected in Utrecht to study Veterinary Medicine and I am still happy about that every day.

The best thing about my profession is helping people by helping their animals.

I enjoy working with both people and animals. It’s always nice to put the puzzle pieces together:

What does the animal show? What does the owner say? And what do I find during my investigations?

It is a very special feeling if we can solve the puzzle.

If the animal is happy, the owner is happy and I am happy!

I also find that important in practice: that everyone is satisfied and feels valued. And luckily it works!

I am very happy and grateful that we, as a team, manage to do that every day. This is how we can best help our patients.