The family pet that pays his own medical expenses...

Chocolate, a lab and family pet of Lydia Currey, left, and Joseph Currey paid his own medical expenses by recently winning third in a retriever contest at the First Annual Missouri Waterfowl Festival and sports show. Staff photo by Joshua Payne

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Chocolate, a chocolate labrador was rescued from a pound in Salem, Mo., in July of 2007, by the parents of Tracy Currey, of Kennett, Mo. The dog was then given to the Currey family as a pet by the parents. When arriving to the family's home, Chocolate was starved to the point that his ribcage bones could be seen and counted visually, according to his owners.

The family proceeded to care for the dog, making him an inside animal, and nursing him back to health over time.

One day while playing outside, Currey realized that Chocolate was able to play fetch pretty effectively.

"I continued to work with Chocolate with decoys in the yard and he picked up with very little training," Currey said.

Recently, Chocolate developed a growth on his neck that would need to be seen by a Veterinarian. The family needed to take Chocolate to the Veterinarian but also needed the cash to foot the bil because of the high gas prices and economy of the time. Chocolate's appointment was around the same time as the Missouri Waterfowl Festival in Kennett.

Currey does not duck hunt, but heard of the retrieving contest and decided to put Chocolate into the competition with the other professionally trained canines.

In the competition, three-year-old Chocolate was able to win third place and the amount of $45, which was right at the amount of the Veterinarian bill, according to Currey.

"Since the competition, several people have offered to buy Chocolate from us, but he is not for sale," Currey said.