Unconditional Love of a Dog

Unconditional love can be a difficult concept for humans.

For dogs, it isn't so difficult. My dog, Lucia, was a champion of unconditional love.

Yesterday, we had to say goodbye to her.

Lucia was a wonderful, very gentle soul. She was a beautiful Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier that we adopted when she was 5 years old, the same year my daughter was five.

We don't know what her life was like before she came to us, but she bonded with our family very well. Especially to me.

Lucia was my constant companion and friend. She followed me everywhere. Upstairs, downstairs, into the kitchen, into the bedroom, even into the bathroom. Lucia just wanted to be near me.

She was very attached to me. And I to her. I've never felt such unconditional love from anyone, human or pet.

Lucia liked everyone in our family, especially the cat. When the cat was sleeping in Lucia's bed, she would gently sniff his nose and wag her tail. She was the calmest Wheaten I ever knew.

Sometimes I felt bad about how attached Lucia was to me. My husband says she never left the front door when I was gone. Even when I was out of town for several days, Lucia would wait by the door for me to return.

And when I did return home, I would receive such a joyous welcome from Lucia. "Oh boy, oh boy, you're home. You're home!!!"

So with a very sad heart, I had to let her go. I had to say goodbye. She was almost 14 years old. She was so sick and would never recover. It was my job to decide when it was time.

It was the hardest job I've ever had to do.

Lucia is no longer suffering. She is no longer in pain. And I believe in my heart that she knew how much I love her. And how much I will always love her.