Meet this week’s phenomenal Rockstar Doggy Momma: Christine Thoennissen. Christine suffered a tragic loss when her beloved first husband passed away when he was only 46-years-old. But as destiny would have it, she eventually met a wonderful man, whose first wife passed away the day after her husband. One thing led to another and they were married. Christine then quit her job stateside and moved to Australia continuing to work as a Registered Nurse (R.N.).
After arriving down under, Christine’s husband, who traveled all over the world for work, surprised her with a new puppy Collie to keep her company. Christine named him Lucky and “boy was she lucky.” Every day after work Christine would take Lucky to the park for a walk and hit tennis balls for him to chase. In a foreign country it was difficult for Christine to make friends, but Lucky broke the ice and Christine developed wonderful friendships, largely due to Lucky and his playfulness with other dogs in the neighborhood. In fact, before Christine returned to the states, neighbors hosted a going away party and there were more dogs in attendance than people!!
Upon returning home, Christine got Lucky a playmate, a Sheltie named Munchie. Soon thereafter, Christine’s sister delivered a Beagle named Max. And last but certainly not least, Christine’s three Labradors (Father, Mother and Son) arrived when her sister had to move out of her spacious home. And although Christine’s first three pups have since gone to the rainbow bridge, she still has fond memories of her big family of 8.
Traveling with 6 dogs is an adventure and leads to a lifestyle focused on wellness and activity. Christine and her husband have a home up in Michigan where their dogs run free. They take their dogs for long walks through the woods, enjoying the scenery and nature, and have lots of fun along the way. They even had the privilege of chasing Max through a marshy area when he ran after a fox in pitch dark. They pulled porcupine quills from Lucky’s face and had even more fun defumegating him after he tried to make friends with a skunk. And you think your toddlers are a handful?!! Plus her Labs, although much tamer, cannot be stopped from sneaking into the lake!
Wellness has further been a huge priority in Christine’s home because two of her Labs are diabetic and two have thyroid issues. Christine notes that “diabetes is just as serious in dogs as it is in humans.” Both dogs initially went blind, but Christine was fortunate enough to find an eye specialist and restore her pups’ vision. In addition, Christine feeds her babies a homemade organic diet and makes sure they receive their insulin at certain times throughout the day. In other words, her three Labs are a HUGE commitment, but Christine would not have it any other way.
Christine says the best thing about her dogs is that “their love is unconditional and their friendship priceless.” They also keep her young at heart and super active. Her dogs know when she’s having an “off” day and get her out of her funk fairly quickly. Christine would never be without a pup by her side. And she cannot wait to take the whole family on and RV adventure this coming year!!! What an amazing life and family Christine has built, a true RDM to be admired!!! 🙂