Greta, Piddley Oops and Dippy have proven to me that love comes in many forms.  Love doesn’t need to come from another human being, it can also come from the wag of a tail or a big sloppy canine kiss.

Six years ago I would not be writing this post.  Up until then I had believed that pets belonged outdoors and served a particular purpose.  Big dogs worked for a living and small dogs were there to give old rich ladies an extra accessory.  So what changed?  I got into a relationship where my significant other had a dog (Greta) and five cats (Gray, Nelly, Pigpen, Sugar, and Bear).

At first it was a bit difficult to adjust to the change: the pet hair, the smells, the poop and the money spent on their upkeep.  When I woke up in the middle of the night one day only to find a big black cat standing on my chest and staring at me, I just about gave up on them.  However, little by little they won my heart over.

Dippy. She was a tiny chihuahua puppy that my niece adored.  They say that animals can’t smile but if you look at her picture you’ll see the face that I looked at every time I came over to visit.  She would jump for joy when I came over and flash me that heart-melting smile as soon as she saw me.  How long it had been since I had seen her was of no concern to her.  She only cared that I was there and was willing to give her some TLC.

Piddley Oops. Piddles was a shitzu puppy that I got when it was just a month old.  Her name came about because when I got her it seemed like all she did all day was piddle on the floor.  And the oops came about because one day my significant other were discussing how great it would be if one day we just had an oops and I became pregnant.  That day was the day that Piddles came to live with us.  It wasn’t planned, it merely just happened – a real oops.  The cool thing about Piddles was that no matter how many times I yelled at her or how long I paid her attention, she was always ready to jump on my lap and give me a big wet kiss.  Every time she saw my significant other and I being affectionate, she would drop what she was doing and come right between us so that we could share that love.  I didn’t know how much she had come to mean to me until the day she died.  That day I cried and cried for hours.  But then an image popped into my mind of Piddles jumping from cloud to cloud and looking down at me with her big toothy grin and letting me know that she would still love me and take care of me.  When I feel down or depressed, I just remember that vision and the unconditional love she gave me and I remember that everything will be okay, even if things don’t turn out exactly as I had hoped for.

Greta. She is a big german shepherd who doesn’t know she’s a d-o-g.  As soon as I wake up she comes over and wags her tail and waits for her morning lovings and then goes on her merry way.  And when there’s someone with bad intentions around, she warns me to stay away.  When I tell her she’s pretty she gives me the biggest smiles.  Whenever she sees me cry, the first thing she does is come over to me and give me a big wet kiss.  She won’t leave my side until she knows I’m okay.  And when we are pulling a trick on the cats, I could swear she winks at me.

I have definitely grown in the last six years.  I have learned to be more open to receiving love.  I have learned that sometimes love and compassion can come from that which we fight the most. I have learned  that unconditional love does exist and if can exist between a dog and a human, why can’t it exist between two humans?

So ask yourself, when was the last time you had someone in your life who comforted you when you were down, smiled and played with you whenever you needed it, and waited with baited breath until you came home.  How many people do you know who will love you no matter what and will go with you to the end of the earth if you so wish it.