On October 4 we celebrate World Animal Day and that is something that Nore Van Houdenhove from Izegem will certainly not forget. The young lady is a great animal lover and has now been able to turn her passion into her profession. She not only grooms dogs, but also enjoys taking care of her own dog Sterre. She dreams of horses and a house full of animals.
Nore Van Houdenhove (19) lives with her parents and sister in the Plataanstraat on the Bosmolens. Anyone who often visits the Bosmolens may have seen Nore passing by with her Australian shepherd Sterre.
You often walk the dog, do you do that day in and day out and through all kinds of weather?
Nore Van Houdenhove: “Actually yes. Sterre needs a lot of exercise and so we try to take her for a walk every day. This can easily take from one and a half to two hours a day. That is always very nice to do. You are often approached by other people and quite often by other dog owners. I’m not the only one in the family who goes out with Sterre, mom and dad often go on tour with her too. She also plays a lot in the garden, she just has a lot of energy. I had to wait here for 13 years to get my parents to have a dog, so I was very happy when they finally agreed. Sterre really enriches my life.”
You are really a big animal lover, ever since you were young?
“Certainly, my parents always tell me that my first word Bawaw was. They didn’t understand what I meant at first, but I pointed to a dog every time I said it, so it became clear what I wanted to say. So it was there from a very young age. We used to have a cat who was really my friend and I also started riding when I was about 5, so animals have always been a constant in my life. As I grew older, my love for animals only grew. After primary school I went to study animal care in Vabi Roeselare. That choice was quickly made for me. I feel very comfortable with animals.”
You turned your hobby into your profession after your studies.
“And I’m very happy about that. When I was in third grade, we had a practical dog grooming lesson as part of our training. I immediately felt that it was something for me. From then on it was already clear what I wanted to do later in my professional life and that has not changed. I eventually completed a seventh year of specialization in dog grooming and have now been working at WelloPet in Kuurne since July. Grooming a dog seems easy, but you really need the knowledge.”
So you come into contact with many dogs, many breeds at work?
“All together indeed. I really like my job. If I had a choice, I prefer to groom poodles. There is quite a bit of cutting involved and I find that very challenging to do. Sheepdogs are also fun to handle. We see many owners with their dogs, but usually those dogs are not very comfortable with us. It always takes a bit of experimenting to see how they will react. If an animal is not yours, it is more difficult to sense that, so you have to look for it. We have no choice but to put a muzzle on some dogs, but we actually try to avoid that as much as possible. We really do our best to make the dogs comfortable.”
I can imagine that you want a house full of animals in the future?
“Sterre is in my name, so if I ever move here, I will definitely take her with me. That will take some getting used to for the other family members here, but that was the agreement immediately. 5 years ago we really sat around the table with the family to decide which dog was right for us, so it was an Australian Shepherd. I would also love to have my own horse one day. I rode for 13 years and I loved it. Now I often lack time, but if I really had a choice, I certainly have a horse that I can care for and ride. Animals require a lot of care and time, but I am willing to pay for it. The stumbling block may well be the budget, because animals also cost quite a bit, but we’ll see about that. My girlfriend is also a big fan of animals, so that’s a stroke of luck. By the way, we got to know each other among the animals. We were both monitors at a camp at the Bokkeslot petting zoo in Deerlijk and that was where the spark flew.”
Today, Friday October 4, is World Animal Day, is that a special day for Sterre?
“She is currently on a strict diet, so she should not expect more cookies in any case. We usually provide a nice dog toy or something when a special date comes around, so I think that will be it. Our dog is pampered here every day, so I don’t think she has any reason to complain.” (MVW)
Nore Van Houdenhove
Private: Nore lives with her parents Tom and Cindy Vancostere in the Plataanstraat on the Bosmolens. She has a sister Fran. She has been together with her girlfriend Jara for a year and two months.
Course: She followed a training in animal care at the Free Agro- and Biotechnical Institute (Vabi) in Roeselare. She did her seventh year of specializing in dog grooming and has been working at WelloPet in Kuurne since July.
Spare time: Almost all of Nore’s free time goes to caring for her dog Sterre. She also loves horse riding.
