THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY BRAVECTO

Two years ago we adopted a cocker spaniel from our local pound – those of you who follow us on Instagram or Facebook will have seen Duke and know that he is a much loved member of our family!

The story of how Duke came to live with us isn’t a happy one, but the ending definitely is and it has been a valuable lesson for our children to learn. Duke was picked up by rangers on New Year’s Eve, 2015 and as he was not microchipped and an entire male, he spent 3 weeks in the pound whilst they waited to see if his owners could be found.

He stayed longer than what is normal because it was the holiday period and I suspect that they wanted to have a little word to them about his condition. Duke had matting on his body that was so heavy and twisted it had made him bald all around his tail and up his back.

His front teeth are worn down to the gum line (which makes it hard to estimate how old he is and will be a costly expense for us in the future as it is not covered by pet insurance) and he was as skinny as he was stinky.

Was he a puppy farm dog? Did he have neglectful owners that didn’t mean to be cruel? What was his name before he lived with us?

Duke has the most beautiful nature and is not scared, but he doesn’t particularly like grass. He makes himself at home on the couch and carries around a teddy, but has obvious injuries to his eye and teeth. We have many questions that we will never know the answer to, but what we do know is how incredibly thankful we are that he is ours.

It is no secret we are animal lovers. Both Tim and I grew up with animals, and always had a dog (or two), so we wanted that upbringing for Alegría and Isaac. Whilst Alegría likes taking Duke for a walk, making up performances for him to watch and will open the door for him when he wants to go out, it is Isaac that is Duke’s person, through and through.

Isaac and Duke are inseparable. A little boy and his dog.

Isaac and Duke are not alone in the special bond that they have created. A recent survey amongst Aussie dog owners confirmed what many families have suspected all along – just like ice cream and chocolate topping, kids and dogs are meant to be together!

The survey was commissioned by long-lasting paralysis tick and flea treatment Bravecto®,  with the survey results* revealing the positive and long-lasting effects dogs have on children and indeed the entire household. If you want to read more about Bravecto® or see Duke demonstrating how easy it is to administer, click HERE!

The main benefits dogs provide Aussie children are ranked as companionship (73%), emotional bonding (67%), having fun (66%) and learning responsibility (61%). Dogs also have a positive impact on the emotional wellbeing of children, with 85 per cent feeling happy, 67 per cent feeling loved, and 64 per cent feeling safe when their four-legged friend is close by and their favourite things to do with them are playing games (53%), followed by snuggling on the couch (41%) and going to the park (39%).

After we welcomed Duke home, we spoke to Alegría and Isaac about responsible pet ownership and what it takes to look after a dog properly. We covered everything from food and bedding to clean water and exercise. We spoke about Duke needing regular haircuts, making sure his ears were clean (and watching out for grass seeds) as well as yearly medical treatments like immunisations and preventative treatments like worming tablets and his 3 monthly dose of Bravecto®.

Alegría and Isaac observe daily how Tim and I treat Duke. We greet him when we get home, he tucks himself under our arms and we give him a cuddle (his tail never stops wagging!), we take him to the vet, just as we take the kids to the doctors, if he is unwell and we are kind to him always.

When we witness Alegría greeting Duke when she gets home from school, or Isaac saying “come here Dukey, my beautiful boy” we know that he is having a positive impact on their upbringing. They are learning compassion and kindness with their very own live in tutor and we love having him here too!

We know how much you love your kids’ best friend and want to protect them from fleas and paralysis ticks, so we spoke to Bravecto^® who have generously offered us a year’s supply (four packs valued at $240 – Based on average estimated retail price of $60 per pack.) that we can give away to FIVE lucky doggies!

Bravecto^® is first and only oral chew that delivers extended protection for three months against fleas and four months against paralysis ticks – all in a single chew. For a busy family who has so many things to think about, 4 doses per year versus 12 or more doses per year equals a no-brainer.

Thank you to everyone who entered! Our winners are: 

1. Karen Ray
2. Ana Florez
3. Katrina Baker
4. Rebecca Tardent
5. Kirsty Jayne Ciantar

TO ENTER:

Tell us all about your dog! What does it mean to have them as part of your family? What kind of bond do they have with your children?

Put your best paw forward and upload a photo, short story or video via email georgina@kiddingaroundaustralia, on our Facebook post or tag @kiddingaroundaustralia and #kiddingaroundaustralia on Instagram!

THEN:

Fill out this form with your details so we can contact you if you win! We will never pass these details onto anyone (apart from Bravecto so that they can post out your prize!).

ENTRIES CLOSE JUNE 11, 2017 at 9pm AEST.

1. Entry is open to Australian residents only who are aged 18 years and over and only one entry per household is permitted.
2. Entries open on 1/6/2017 and close at 9pm AEST on 11/6/2017.
3. This competition is a game of skill and chance plays no part in determining the winners.
4. To enter the competition, entrants must fill in all fields of the form above.
5. Five winners will be selected and receive a years’ supply of Bravecto (4 packs) valued at up to $250 (depending on the weight of the dog).
6. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
7. The winner will be drawn within 48hrs of the closing date and the winning entry will be announced on this website. The prize will be posted to the address supplied at the time of entry.  The promoter will not be held responsible if the address supplied is incorrect.

MORE INFORMATION

Bravecto is available from leading veterinarians across Australia.

For the latest news and information about Bravecto visit www.bravecto.com.au and “LIKE” Bravecto on Facebook at www.facebook.com.au/bravectoau