Tell us what your pets mean to you - for a chance to win a Fitbit Alta plus a copy of Finding Gobi. Now closed.

[SorchaMumsnet]

Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard is the heart-warming tale of how a dog and man changed each others' lives forever.

In 2016, Dion Leonard, a seasoned ultramarathon runner, unexpectedly stumbled across a little stray dog while competing in a gruelling 155-mile race across the Gobi Desert. The lovable pup, who earned the name ‘Gobi’, proved that what she lacked in size, she more than made up for in heart, as she went step for step with Dion over the treacherous Tian Shan Mountains, managing to keep pace with him for nearly 80 miles.

As Dion witnessed the incredible determination of this small animal, he felt something change within himself. In the past he had always focused on winning and being the best, but his goal now was simply to make sure that his new friend was safe, nourished and hydrated. Although Dion did not finish first, he felt he had won something far greater and promised to bring Gobi back to the UK for good to become a new addition to his family. This was the start of an unforgettable journey for the both of them, consisting of drama, grief, heartbreak, joy and love.

Finding Gobi is the ultimate story of hope, of resilience and of friendship; proving that dogs can really be 'man's best friend.' It is essential reading for all animal lovers and fans of A Streetcat Named Bob.

To be in with a chance of winning a copy of the book plus a Fitbit Alta, just tell us: what do your pets mean to you?

This discussion is sponsored by HarperCollins and will end on Wednesday 5 July

Books T&Cs apply

My dog Bella has got me through tough times in my marriage, hard times with my children, and is my confidante, I tell her everything, thank goodness she can't speak! I'd be lost without her, she's my best friend.

My dog is the reason I am still here.

We got her as a puppy two years ago for dh, as his older dog was needing to slow down and retire. He is a farmer and she goes in the tractor with him.

This little bundle of fluff rolled into our home and chose me. I have never had a dog of my own before. It is amazing. She follows me everywhere. Wagging her tail and waiting for cuddles.

In her two years we have had three miscarriages and failed IVF. She has held me together. Three weeks ago I had another miscarriage, this time at 12 weeks. She lay beside me in the bathroom and never left my side. Her little eyes look at me with such utter love and devotion. She's a funny naughty little scamp but that love is something else.

In my darkest moments she's there, just being my friend. I love her so much.

Monty our Border the Terrier is a huge part of our family. He is 3 and a half now but still full of fun and everyday we laugh at him and his funny ways!

Our crazy pup Heidi is an 18 month old chocapoo (choc lab x cockapoo) and she is completely unique. She is so very full of life. I consider her as a very important member of our family. Our kids are growing up and sometimes it can be hard to communicate and stay in touch with teenagers thoughts and feelings - their need to be independent is so strong - but Heidi has given us all a bond we might never have had without her. They love her, we (the parents) love her, we love them (the teenagers), the teenagers can show love without losing face, making it easier for them to express emotions towards us and others in the family. And Heidi loves us all, especially when there are treats on offer! ;)

Our dogs are a part of the family. We got Guinness(black cocker spaniel) when our eldest turned one because we wanted our kids to grow up with a family pet. Teddy (shih Tzu) is a new addition less than a year ago. Our dogs are our boys best friends and there's nothing better than us all spending the day together going for a long dog walk and a picnic.

I saw a lovely dog coat recently. Among the "Assistance dog," "I'm friendly" "Nervous," etc there was one that said, "I rescued my owner." That's exactly how I feel about our rescue hound that we adopted as I was trying to find a new normal after some brutal cancer treatment. My reason to get up in the morning and out into the woods as I'm trying to regain fitness. Such a happy dog - True Mindfulness in action!

Pets are a huge part of our family life. They mean fun, love, company and heartache. Our family is never complete without a dog or cat.

Pets are a huge part of our family life. They mean fun, love, company and heartache. Our family is never complete without a dog or cat.

My dog Max is my best friend and means the world to me. I love walking but unfortunately my husband is disabled and unable to walk more than a few steps. Max keeps me active, makes me smile and makes me walk everyday. He's such a character and I've met lots of fellow dog walkers this way
I love him to bits and he's never saw from my side...he's a very important member of our family and everyone adores him.

My cat and son have such a strong bond, he waits for him to come home after school a it's lovely to see how close they are

Absolutely everything & to my children too. We have a menagerie of pets from the girls hens, to the 2 cats & 3 dogs on a farm. There should only be 2 dogs but we got a sheep dog to help herd the sheep. He reacted badly to a puppy vaccination & very nearly died. We gave our every last penny to save him & now he loves his life but is a little disabled. He is so cute, he only takes on sheep without huge horns. When a pet dies we all cry for days on end. We could not imagine life without a pet.

I have 2 gorgeous kitties who I wouldn't be without. Love the way they come running to see me when I come home and know my routine so well. They are so comforting when you feel down and calming when anxious. Love them to bits.

My giant puss, Buster, means the world to me. I didn't actually mean to adopt him, but his owners were giving him away on an internet buying/selling site!!
When I saw him I couldn't bear to think of him going to a bad owner so I took him on. Six years later he's still my baby and the best pet I've ever had. He's so loving and cheeky. It's fate that he came to us x

This is our girl ebony only a few days after we adopted her, she looks as happy to be part of our family as we were to have her! she was a wee stray who got taken in to the shelter heavily pregnant, her kitten got snapped right up but she was left behind, until we came along! she is so full of beans and makes me laugh all the time! every night when I get home from work she meets me at my car door and walks me in then stares at the couch until I sit on it so she can jump on my lap! if it wasn't for her I don't think id ever get a sit down! but she looks after me just as I look after her. who ever said black cats were bad luck?!?

my beautiful dog has saved my sanity and encouraged me to keep on going. we received him as a temp guest due to someones relationship breaking down. a few months later he became a permanent member of our family. i was over joyed that he was not going. i was recuperating from an operation and feeling low.i started to train him with recall, sit, stay, fetch,stop, up, down, settle, cushion, bed, tricks, waiting for ok to eat treat, not to snatch, how to behave on lead, harness and how to have fun playing. it was wonderful and took my mind of self. following another op i became disabled a few months later. his companionship has been the reason for getting up in the morning and an incentive to keep going. after all its not his fault and he still needs water, let out for toilet, grooming, feeding, loving. when i am feeling low he fetches all his toys until i start to play with him, his antics make me smile as he plays the clown. he helps me complete physio with his balls and tug toys, making it fun. if bad pain day he will place head on knee or sit close to me. he encourages me to pay attention,eg finds a leaf on yard fascinating and fetches me to share experience. when balance is very bad he leans against legs as if to support me, when fall he will lie next to me until either i manage to crawl to settee (with him licking and pushing to encourage) or help comes.if he senses i'm really bad he leans against me or sits on feet so i cant get up. when he is taken for a walk he returns to me several times before leaving, pokes me with his nose and gives look as if to say now you stay put until i get back. i feel safe with him as he tells me if someone at door or phone rings he will stand and stare at it. he is my friend, helper, companion, clown, confidant. the look in photo is him being disappointed as he wants something or i have said no eg play. he will continue like that with occasional sigh until i acknowledge him and ask what he wants. he will then stare at door, toy, water bowl until i say water, toy etc.and give to him.

We have tropical fish! Our severly disabled DS loves fish and they are the first he goes to when comes home from school. He has learnt how to turn in the light and he gets lots of sensory feedback from his fish. His favourite fish are Maude who is a Silver Dollar and Bev, Nev & Trev the Angels!

This has been my favourite thread ever!! So many beautiful, adorable and down right cute furry companions! So many awws, so little time!

Our beautiful boys mean everything to us. We first collected our boys, Thackery and Jinx in 2013. Initially we had only gone to pick up one fur ball but when we got there we saw how the two interacted with each other that we couldn't separate them!

After a year and a half of love, cuddles and real personalities coming through, Jinx was ran over on the street behind our house. Jinx was my baby, he behaved like a baby- he liked to be picked up and cuddled like one, wrapped up in Mummies arms, he would come and sit snuggled up beside me and every time he went outside he would be back inside every two minutes to check that Mummy was still there. So it came as quite a surprise that it was Jinx that had ventured passed our garden, passed the gardens at the back of the house and out onto the road behind (It's quite a distance). His brother was hiding under the decking and was safe but sadly Jinx slipped out of our lives a week later. He'd gone to a special hospital to fix his leg, he couldn't go to the bathroom properly until this was done but it was other complications that failed him. He came home the night before he went until the hospital and all he wanted to was cuddles and for Mummy or Megan to sing to him.

Some time passed and Thackery became very withdrawn- he missed his little brother and he missed companionship. After many discussions we decided to look for a new friend for him but if he wasn't the right fit, he would have to go. Thankfully we found a little furball just as playful and mischievous as Jinx, a cat who also loved a cuddle and a pussy cat that loved having a big brother to snuggle up to. In the early months our new friend, Theodore, would nuzzle Thackery like a Mummy cat and he would just lie there and take it because he had a new baby brother.

Losing Jinx was so hard for our little family because he was the first animal that was entirely all ours and while Jinx is still a big part of our lives- my daughter wrote a book featuring him that she wants to make into a book series, his personality comes right through- he will never ever be forgotten and knowing how much pain losing him caused us makes us appreciate and love our furboys Thackery and Theodore (Teddy for short) even more.

Ooops it didn't add the one of Thackery and Theodore, here they are with my daughter.

Our cat Angel is a part of the family. She's an old lady now but my son loves her to bits and thinks the world of her.

Our two cats are, as others have said, part of the family. They are characters, with different personalities. One of our cats followed me home and moved in - she's feisty and loyal. She brings us presents of live mice, which I re-home in the nearby woods! The other, is one of her kittens (!) He's vocal, affectionate and cheeky & has been taught to give "paw" and another "command". His brother died last year and he seemed to be grieving for weeks. He jumps on the table to get your attention because he wants to be carried around like a baby! Exasperating at times, pets enhance our lives.

Our dog, Monty, is our chief toddler entertainer! We got him as a puppy when DS was 18 months, so he has only ever known wild toddlers and he is the most patient creature!

My pet stick insects are educational for my young DC and that's about it. They're learning about caring for creatures, responsibility, being gentle, understanding that they don't always want to be picked up and about the natural world. No warm fuzzies but I'm glad we have them :)

Pets have always been a huge part of my life. I had mice growing up and as a family we always had a cat.
Now as an adult DH and I have a cat that we adopted as students. She's my fur baby and we love her loads. She's gentle and patient with the DC who love her too and she checks up on them if they're crying.

You don't know how much your pets mean to you until they're gone. When my cat went missing last year, I felt empty. I would instinctively turn to scold her for scratching the sofa, or reach down to stroke her as I was watching TV, only to realise she was gone. Home just didn't feel like home without her.
That was when I discovered what my Nala means to me. She means comfort, warm fur to stroke after a tough day at work. She is a part of me, she brings out my adventurous side and I wouldn't be where I am without her.
A couple days after I thought I'd lost her, Nala came back to me. She just casually strolled through the cat-flap, as though she'd never been gone! Now that I know how much she means to me, I have barely lost sight of her since then.

Pets to me mean family. Even now, after we have all grown up and left home, we still all bond over my parents dogs. we love hearing stories of their antics, we love giving them cuddles and taking them for walks when we go home. My children have grown up knowing the dogs since babyhood. And when I took my step children there for the first time they just totally relaxed when they started playing with the dogs.

such a wonderful source of companionship, adventure and cuddles. And a huge part of our family.