OK so I thought a year ago we weren’t really the sort of family to have a dog! Too much work, too much money, too much poo to clean up, just too much of everything. We had 5 pet chickens and that seemed enough. It wasn’t such a big deal when you needed a quick getaway it was easy to stock up the chicken coop (that resembled more of a 5 star resort) with food and water, and it was super cute watching them wander around  our garden. I also loved the ritual of checking for eggs and never needing to run to the supermarket if I needed an egg for a yummy cake recipe. Yes chickens make great pets.

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We had a part time dog Jasper affectionately known as ‘Lord Jasper’ or ‘Grumpy’ as he is quite fussy.

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He is my parents dog and as they travel a lot (got to love retirement) he would spend weekends, weeks or months at a time with us. We all became extremely attached to Jasper and the kids were very upset when he went home.

Gradually we started looking at pics of cute dogs on the internet, and I could feel myself warming to the idea of having our very own family dog. But hubby wasn’t too sure, he could see it was a good idea, especially for Aspen as she is a very sensitive child and loves animals, (we nicknamed her the chicken whisperer as they would squat for her to pick them up when they saw her coming). But still he felt it was too much responsibility.

And then I got a message that 3 little pups had been born on a friends farm. I was told they all had homes and I felt a little sad. They were the younger siblings to Jasper and it was an unexpected pregnancy. I was talking to my friend the next day and she asked me which one I liked as I’d seen a photo on Facebook. I told her I liked the black one, the runt of the litter, the underdog so to speak. She then surprised me by saying we could have her as she thought we would make perfect parents! I instantly named her Holly and then had to break the news to my hubby! The kids were thrilled, Aspen was in tears she couldn’t believe it! We went to meet her soon after and it was love at first sight.

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When I spoke to my friend that day I had no idea I was about to become a mum to a puppy. We called her Holly-Rose (as her mummy’s name is Rosie). Having a puppy changed our lives, yes there was puppy accidents (even on the carpet), yes she stole socks and ran off with them (she still does this), yes we have vet bills, yes it is harder to go on holidays without making plans for her, and yes she loves to bark at strange things, but she has somehow made us feel even more like a family.

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It is not something I can really explain, I never quite understood why people were so obsessed with their dogs until Holly-Rose came along, she instantly took a place in my heart and I love her to bits. She comforts the kids when they are sad, she greets them happily after school, she helps them learn responsibility and she listens when they are worried.

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Having Holly opened up a new world to me, I feel she has made me much more compassionate about animal rights and how important it is to train our animals, and to treat them with love, respect and kindness. A puppy is hard work and a big responsibility (much more than I realised) and having a dog really is a life changer. It is not something that should be rushed into. They need a lot of your time, so much attention, exercise, grooming and  they aren’t cheap to keep. But when she snuggles up with me as I blog away she is completely worth it.

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A year ago we didn’t have Holly or our rescue kittens, Toby, Pumpkin and Avari, and I can honestly say we are so happy now that we do!

What about you, do you have a pet? Has having a pet changed you? Leave me a comment below, or feel free to link up with me below.

Thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx

Want to see more cute pics of Holly-Rose? Check her out HERE

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Holly writes:

Life with a five year old or try Lessons learned

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This weeks Friday Reflections Prompts are as follows (16 October 2015)

  • What makes a person beautiful to you?
  • Reflect on how having a pet has changed your world.
  • How have you changed from the person you were 5 years ago?
  • Grab a photo and use it as a writing prompt.
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Congratulations to Leanne from Cresting the Hill of Midlife for being Friday Reflections Featured Writer with her amazing post on motherhood. Please show Leanne support and read her post Successful Parenting 101