Claire Touzard & Gloria
ph. Jonathan LLense
text by Clara Bouteille
While travelling to the other side of the world every month, Claire met Gloria, who quickly became an anchor in her life. The little king Charles Spaniel, Gloria, marked the beginning of a new era for Claire, through a change of profession and beautiful encounters.
An anchor point...
"My name is Claire, I used to be a reporter and director, now I'm a scriptwriter and book author. I've published a book called Sans Alcool (Flammarion), and another book which is coming out now, called Féminin. I also work as a scriptwriter for a television series. So much for my background!
I've had a dog for 4 years, who is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, her name is Gloria. We're celebrating her birthday in 4 days, and we're going to organise a little game for her to mark the occasion. When I got Gloria I didn't have a family yet, no children or anything. I was travelling a lot for work and I was a bit lonely. I thought that I needed an anchor, and that an animal could be a start. One day, by chance, a friend and I were walking along the banks of the Seine and I saw this pet shop. When we got home, I noticed Gloria, I didn't know her breed or anything, but I knew right away that she was the one. I took her and at first I was a bit scared, everyone told me it was a big commitment... But it turned out to be a life-changing experience, a new starting point, Gloria. At that time I was doing 4 countries a month, it was good, but substantial. I started to settle down more, and I met my husband, we had a child. Strangely enough, when I met Gloria, I changed jobs and that's when I started to write. I don't know if there is a direct link. But it all started more or less with Gloria.”
Social circle...
“The funny thing about pets is that you create a social circle very quickly.
When I was walking down the street with Gloria, I met a lot of people. Among others, I met someone who became a very dear friend. This is how much Gloria changed my life! I started to see the neighbourhood in a different light.
An animal creates a bond. Gloria was the reason my husband and I met. He even came on to me a bit when he was talking about dogs... I have always had dogs in my house, so I was very used to them and my grandfather, who was a veterinarian, wrote a book on the intelligence of dogs. There is a social life for dog owners. But Gloria is not very social. She prefers humans to other dogs. She is very adventurous though. We say she is a Pit Bull in a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel's body.”
