Puppy love

In December 2005 the couple moved into their first house. There was plenty of room and even a yard for the dogs to frolic in. For Amanda and David, life couldn’t have been sweeter. The only thing they had to worry about was Amanda’s heart condition. After much agonising, Amanda booked to see a specialist. She was told that the hole in her heart was repairable, but doing so would require open-heart surgery. Amanda was frightened. She knew surgery would have its risks, but she decided to go ahead. Then she made a discovery that meant a major operation was out of the question – she was pregnant.

“For months Amanda had been saying to me ‘let’s have a baby, let’s have a baby’, but I had been telling her to hang on a bit,” reveals David.

“Then I went out for a run with the dogs one morning and I had something of an epiphany. I came back and looked her in the eye and said: ‘I’m ready to have kids with you.’ A few weeks later we found out she was already pregnant – and she’d been pregnant when I said that to her.”

The power of pets

“A dog or a cat provides loyalty, companionship and a sense of security,” says Petcare Information and Advisory Service consultant Susie Chaseling. “Having a happy and loving pet to come home to, or who greets you in the morning, can provide a sense of motivation and responsibility which is a strong antidote to loneliness,” she explains.

Owning a pet is also a major boon for your general health. Research has shown pets can ease depression and promote a quicker recovery from serious illnesses such as heart attack. Dog owners also get the extra benefit of exercise and, as Amanda Goff and David Basha discovered, the opportunity to make new friends.

For information about the Advisory Service, visit www.petnet.com.au.

Photography: Andrew Lehmann. Hair & make-up: Stoj Bulic.

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