Pets Belong in Our Lives

Chrissie Sexton Zarozny of Channahon is wild about animals and has been for as long as she can remember.

She was the kind of kid who brought home any creature she found.  

"My parents put up with a lot," she said. "I remember the time I persuaded them to let me put a couple of mice into a big aquarium. Soon, we had 60 of them."

She remembers one time when a toad she was holding in the kitchen hopped into a frying pan that was heating oil. Without thinking she reached into the pan to rescue him – and burned her hands.

Married for six years, she hosts lavish birthday parties for the two family dogs. Christmas cards, of course, feature pet – not people – photos.

Happily, her avocation is also her vocation. She's been a veterinarian technician at Animal Care Center of Plainfield for 15 years. Before that she worked in a kennel. But she has many other talents, including doing public relations for Kremer Veterinary Services, which runs five clinics. She recruits veterinarians, runs the externship program – and is also in charge of all the interior decorating.

But she's probably most proud of the work Animal Care Clinic performs rescuing area animals – last year 1,100 pets were adopted.

Chrissie marvels at the special sense animals can exhibit. She remembers an August day in 2000 when her dog was hiding and trembling under a table in the family's Plainfield basement –a good two hours before the Will County tornado hit.

"It didn't hit our house, but it was as close as two blocks away," she said.

Chrissie and her husband Chris (yes, they share the nearly same name) both love their two Great Danes, one who is so massive he weighs 192 pounds and stands 7 feet high. They may be gi-normous, but these are gentle dogs with good manners. Despite every advantage, Zorro and Zayley Zarozny are not brats.

Chrissie is also enamored of English bulldogs although they don't own any right now.And, he love is not limited to canines. Chrissie loves cats and has had many through the years, but when the couple moved to a new house in Channahon, the doctor said it was time to give husband Chris a break as he's allergic to felines.

She had a parrot for 16 years and still nurses a lot of wildlife like birds, squirrels and raccoons. 

At Christmas, presents for her two Great Danes are wrapped with twists at the ends so they can easily unwrap their own gifts.

"They go nuts," she says fondly.

Is it wild the way she treats her pets? I'll take people like Chrissie and Chris Zarozny any day over folks who don't like dogs or cats. I truly believe that a home without a pet is missing something essential. Children who grow up without a pet are missing wonderful life lessons – and a lot laughter and love.

To me, the most natural thing in the world is pets and people sharing a home.

Jan Larsen coordinates volunteers at Joliet Job Corps. She has two Siamese cats, Freya and Friggia, and a Siberian husky, Frosty. She loves to write about and photograph animals more than anything in the world. Except maybe travel. You can reach her at janettellarsen@aol.com