For those of us who share our lives with special furry friends, we know that our pets are not just pets, but they are members of our family. We know that some very big moments in our lives are shared with our pets. Pets help us live big.
I must forewarn you, but this is going to be a sappy post. It is one filled with love and lots of tears.
I’ve got many “Chance stories”, since Chance was in my life for almost fourteen years. One of my fondest recollections is of when I was pregnant.
Hubby and I got married in June of 2006, and we wanted to start a family right away. Months passed and we still didn’t have any “luck”. What we did have was a happy and full life doing what we loved, living a life on the farm, and sharing each other’s company. We had my canine baby, Chance — the reason my Twitter handle is @chancesmommy. While friends were becoming parents, I had Chance as my baby. Chance was with me through so many of life’s events. He was my faithful companion through thick and thin and good and bad.
One fateful day, Hubby and I discovered that I was pregnant. It took us fifteen months and when we were just about resigned to the thought that we may never be parents, it happened. We were even contemplating adoption at that point!
The happy news quickly took a turn and became a roller coaster of emotions and events. It was discovered that my pregnancy was high risk and I was put on complete bed rest. To be honest, it was a scary time. It may sound crazy, but part of what got me through was the company of my faithful canine. While Hubby was out farming, Chance stayed by my side and kept me company. He was constant source of comfort during many weepy days. Chance had a very calm disposition.
All through my very brief pregnancy, Chance was there.
I was sent to Toronto (Little One was premature) and when I returned home a few months later, Chance welcomed the baby and became her protector. The connection Chance and Little One shared was beautiful.
Having a pet has made my life richer in so many ways. Our pets (namely Chance) have been there through all of life’s events – our engagement, wedding, pregnancy, bed rest, birth of Little One, Little One’s first birthday, and all the other milestones, special occasions, big events, and life in general.
Chance, Cupcake, Spike, and Princess Peach have been instrumental in our family life in the following aspects:
- Nurturing
- Loving
- Healthy
- Compassionate
- Connected
- Caring
- Dependable
Chance has brought love and trust into our family. He also taught Little One about compassion and responsibility. Our pets have taught us how to live big.
Pets really do make our lives bigger
Before Chance passed away in May, he was very protective of his family. If we walked in the bush or had to cross our fields to chase after cattle, or even just headed into the hardwood forest for a walk, Chance always made sure to accompany us. He would lead the way, and if we lagged behind, he would stop and wait for us. He was such a good dog.
Pets don’t just make life better. They make life bigger! We can do the same for them. As a family, we try to reciprocate and make our pets’ lives as big as they’ve made ours.
Did you know?
Purina is taking big steps to push pet care forward in three key areas:
Innovation
Helping to innovate PetCare is what we do. For example, we were the first to create a high protein/low carbohydrate
therapeutic diet for the nutritional management of cats with diabetes. And the first dry dog food brand to use real meat
as the #1 ingredient. The list goes on, and it’s only the beginning. Every day we push forward, together, to advance the
lives of pets everywhere. Learn More: https://www.purina.ca/quality-nutrition- category/research-science
Safety
99% of Purina pet food products sold in Canada are manufactured in North America at our company-owned and
operated facilities. Get to know the facilities that enable us to advance pet nutrition and ensure the safety of your pets.
Learn More: https://www.purina.ca/quality-nutrition- category/quality-safety/
Pets Welfare
As a company guided by a passion for pets, we’re committed to using our scale to do more than just donate. We work
shoulder to shoulder with pet welfare experts, including over 600 Canadian shelters with adoption listings on
Petfinder.com, a site owned by Purina. Learn More: https://www.purina.ca/meet-purina- category/who-we- are/
Live BIG!
Each year, Chance helped spend one more year together. That’s big. Chance taught Little One to be a bit more daring (because he always had her back). That’s big.
Life is too big to live small. So thankful for all the Chance has brought into our lives. We miss him tremendously. Thankful to have our other pets on the farm to be part of Little One’s life.
Disclosure – This is a sponsored post, however, all thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.
Oh, he sounds like he was a really special member of the family.
Such a beautiful post thanks for sharing it.
Our pets are not just a pet they sure are family. When they are sick we worry and do everything we can to make them better. We have a dog named Mika and she’s our world. The greeting at the door when coming home from being out or bringing her toy to play. To go camping and she gets excited to go in the car. A special friend and companion who loves us unconditionally.
What a beautiful post. My parents got a boxer named Tammy when I was born and she was my protector. She used to pull me around the house by my diapers lol
That is so sweet, Anne! What great memories! 🙂