Unconditional Love

For the last couple of days, I’ve been taking care of our precious fur baby. I just hate it when he has a flare-up. A few days ago, after enjoying his typical morning and early afternoon activities, our dog suddenly collapsed. He followed me into a room I was rearranging, and as I turned toward the hallway, I saw him sprawled out on the floor. Unfortunately, my granddaughter was also present. Her parents got her this dog as a puppy when she was very young. One of my favorite photos is of her curled up asleep alongside her little puppy in his puppy bed. He is 13 years old now and has severe arthritis in his hips, not that unusual with older larger breeds. He’s a goofy, lovable, yellow lab. Needless to say my granddaughter was very upset. Luckily, our vet responded immediately prescribed some meds, and now our fur baby is beginning to feel better.

Our animals aren’t pets, they are family. They support us unconditionally through all of the twists and turns in our lives. My previous dog, a German Shepherd mix, was with me through many challenges in my life, my husband’s illnesses, his death, my cancer and recovery, my eventual move to my daughter’s home and so much more. She was my constant companion, loving and supporting me through every challenge. She also suffered from health problems as she advanced in age.  I spent many a day and/or night comforting her when seizures would flare unexpectantly. Although smaller than the average German Shepherd, her heart and her capacity to love were larger than anything I can imagine. I miss her every day, but I think “Goofy” realizes that. He knew her briefly when we first moved here, and after her death, he often still looked for her. Goofy makes me smile daily and reminds me always of the unconditional love that these fur babies give us.