A Memorial to Lucy the Golden Retriever

11/25/2004 to 10/25/2018

Lucy, my Golden Retriever came into my life on June 15, 2010. Initially, a friend, who lived in a third-story apartment and who worked full-time, thought Lucy would be better off with us. My son wanted a dog, and we had a house and a backyard for her to run around in.

I was surprised at how big she was. Lucy was confused. Lucy, my son and I sat in the living room, looking at each other. The energy level was so low, I almost fell asleep.

It wasn’t until my son went to bed that Lucy came alive. She adorably romped around as if to say, “Let’s play!” Needless to say, she became my dog.

She became very attached, was constantly underfoot, and followed me around so much that it was unnerving. It took some adjusting for all of us. Eventually, I started calling her “Little Lucy” a misnomer because she was so big. Or I’d call her “Lucy Lou” because, hey, she’s from Texas!

She was afraid of storms. At times, I would find her hiding in my closet, heavily drooling and shaking.

She was a Retriever who didn’t retrieve.

She was a beauty who made everyone smile when they saw her.

She patiently let me cut her hair. At the beginning, I wasn’t any good, and once I cut it so badly, I affectionately called her “Pinocchio” because she looked like she was made from crudely carved wood. That’s the thing about dogs, they still love you no matter what you do to their hair.

Eventually, after watching many YouTube videos and reading articles on grooming, I got the hang of it. I especially enjoyed grooming her paws, which technique the breed standard calls “tight and cat-like.” They really do look like a cat’s paw! So adorable!

She would howl whenever she heard sirens. She also howled/sang whenever she heard me sing the song He Will Call. I’d like to think it was because it was her favorite, not because my singing was bad.

Last year we made the decision to move to Columbus, Ohio, and I wanted to take her, but we felt the move would be too traumatic for her. I reached out to the Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas to rehome her. Unfortunately, just a day before the rescue organization emailed me that they had found a home for Lucy, I made the painful decision to put Lucy to sleep. She was fourteen years old.

I called Banfield and told them it was time, and they said I could bring her in that very day. No way! I agreed for the next day, while I cried the entire rest of the day.

The next afternoon, my friend Renee took a half day off from work to pick me and Lucy up. I had printed my “100 Self-Care Activities for Body, Mind, and Spirit” and said, “We will need to use this after the procedure is done.”

Now, some people would prefer to have the procedure done in their presence, and others not. I decided I wanted to be there, but Renee, who previously had to put down a number of her pets opted out. I said my goodbyes and told Lucy how much I loved her and that she was a wonderful dog, a faithful companion, and a loyal friend.

I can’t say if or when I will get another dog, but I do know I will never have another dog like my beloved Lucy.