Thirza - Paraveterinair

When I was five, our family moved to Bonaire. There, I helped my mother, who volunteered at the local animal shelter. Together, we washed dogs, removed ticks, and dewormed puppies. As a child, I quickly learned that life can be tough. Not every animal makes it, and attitudes toward animals vary greatly from place to place.

The dog and cat we adopted on Bonaire were brought back to the Netherlands by my parents. That was quite unusual at the time, as it was very expensive. That sense of responsibility is something I try to pass on myself now. When someone says, “A new rabbit is cheaper than a vet consult,” I often ask, “But what do you really want to teach your children?” Love for animals is largely learned behavior. Not everyone realizes it, but children tend to care better for their pets later in life if they grow up witnessing love and care for animals from a young age.

At thirteen, I started volunteering at Dierenkliniek Amsterdam-Noord, helping out every Wednesday evening. I’ll never forget the first time, as a teenager, my parents allowed me to skip school so I could stay late to attend an emergency C-section for a cat.

I’ve always loved special animals, too! My favorite animal as a child was the platypus, later it became the tapir. During my studies, I interned at Artis Zoo and Stichting AAP, where I shadowed the veterinarian. We vaccinated African wild dog puppies, drew blood from a tapir, and conducted hepatitis tests on primates. It was all exciting and educational.

I also gained experience abroad: I worked with sled dogs in Sweden for six weeks and participated in a three-week sterilization project for stray dogs and cats in Romania.

Since the start of Dierenkliniek Duivendrecht, I’ve been working here with great joy and helped set up our aftercare services. We do this work to truly support both animals and their owners.

Our job doesn’t end when the clinic closes—it often continues well into the evening. Sometimes, we treat our own pets after hours, like the time I helped my colleague Mechteld amputate her dog’s eye. But the next morning, we’re back again, smiling. Because we do this together, with the same dedication. And that’s what makes it so special.

And as the cherry on top, I answer the phone part of the year from the Italian island of Sardinia—where I help care for stray cats, spend a lot of time in nature, and assist you over the phone