Happy memories of Lucylou live on

MY beautiful Dogue de Bordeaux Lucylou died very suddenly on August 17. She was 10 years old.

I cannot describe how devastating her loss has been to me. The only consolation is that I was with her at the time, she wasn’t alone. It would have been dreadful to come home and find her dead.

I first saw Lucylou when she was two years old, covered in mange and sores with hardly any hair left on her legs.

She had been kept at the end of a garden in dreadful conditions.

It took 18 months of painstaking treatments, along with the kindness and generosity of Dr Paul Kelly, to finally restore her to full health. She was, however, left with a few bald patches.

Despite her suffering she never barked, nor displayed any aggressive behaviour. From the first day she was a joy to be with.

She loved belly rubs and hugs and having her ears scratched.

I worried that Lucylou might be lonely, so about three months after I adopted her, I brought her to Dogs Aid in Meakstown, Finglas.

While there, Maggie brought out a wonderful Jack Russell who sat right down beside Lucylou. In no time at all, Barneyrubble became her faithful and constant companion and was always at her side.

At the time of adopting the dogs, I was experiencing a severe loss of confidence due to a very traumatic event and had become quite anxious. Being with the dogs helped me to feel safe and secure once again.

Lucylou’s favourite pastime was putting her head out the back window of the car. She especially liked to watch out for other dogs passing by.

It was hilarious to see the facial expressions of other drivers when I pulled up beside them at traffic lights and they turned around to find Lucylou looking at them. She had her picture taken more than once and became an expert at smiling for the camera, as you can see from her photograph.

In the early years, I brought the dogs to training school to learn recall and obedience. However, all the while, they were, in fact, training me to be their faithful servant — walks every day to sniff each blade of grass, food they deigned to eat, rubs on demand.

But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lucylou brought a great deal of joy and happiness to my life, and I loved her more than I ever thought possible.

I miss her more than I can say and I hope there is such a place as the Rainbow Bridge where one day we may meet again. Monica Tuite, Finglas, Dublin 11

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