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

We have three Siamese cats. One old lady and two 9 month old kittens (who were semi rescue as we bought them at 6 months) The kittens were bought to replace our 9 year old cat Cosmo who was killed last year while crossing a road to visit the children in a nursery (we hadn't known he was doing this but we did know that he was extremely sociable - car was going so fast in a 30mph zone outside a nursery and by a lollipop crossing the witness couldn't even take its number ); you're not supposed to have favourites but he was . We'd always said no cat could replace the big softy - and we were right, it needed two cats, each of whom have different elements of his large character. We called them Niles and Frasier which suits their characters perfectly.

They make the house a home. It's wonderful to see the kittens gambolling chasing each other across the garden. We'd missed seeing the white cats in the garden (the old cat didn't go out as much without her "brother") - so they've filled a hole.

It's taken 3 months but old cat is finally starting to accept the two younger ones (as seen in the photo) - although she still hisses at them if they encroach too much to show who is the top cat

The other photo is of our beloved Cosmo, taken a couple of weeks before he was killed. He'd taken to sitting in the planter (I'd run out of plants to fill it and then didn't have the heart to do so)

Our dog is the dog with the waggiest tail, but he saves his special moving his back like an 'S' tail wag when he sees us, and we love him dearly too!

Our dog is the heart of our family.
He always listens to our problems.
Will never judge or criticise.
Unites us for a walk whatever the weather
and loves us all unconditionally.
We could all learn a lot from them!

Part of our family :)

My cats Charlie and Megan mean the world to me, always there to soften the blow after a bad day.

I love my cats, Maisie (female) & Trigger (male) who were rescue cats. Maisie is very clingy and loves cuddles, whereas Trigger is exactly the opposite, he just wants to be fed and left alone (typical male!).

As far as I'm concerned pets make a house a home. Struggling with serious mental illness they've been my crutches, my reason to get up in the morning, forced me out of the house and acted the family clown to make me smile. They give everyone unconditional love, don't judge and always come up with solutions to problems (albeit rather limited to "rub my tummy", "take us for a walk" and "lets have a game" but that's 3 more suggestions than mental health services!) Everywhere you look it seems people are making millions about selling 'mindfulness' and living in the present and what they are really saying is "be more dog". Currently one is watching tennis, one is on her back legs to get a good look at a baby blackbird on the bird table and the other is fast asleep in the shade, on her back, snoring away. Yep, we could learn a lot from animals!

My pet means everything to me because she pulled my daughter out of depression and got her moving again. My daughter had had 3 knee operations and 2 spinal operations and a device fitted into her spine. She was depressed and didn't want to move of the sofa because it hurt. So I got her a newfoundland puppy and made it her responsibility to train it. That little puppy rescued my daughter. We added a rescue 6 year old newfoundland to our family who loves to cuddle and will cuddle up with my daughter on the settee if she is having a bad day. They got her walking and playing and she has greatly exceeded doctors expectations because of those dogs. Xx

They mean the world and are part of the family. they have grown up with the kids! x