Whether it was my own family's dogs, our friends' dogs or the dogs that lived next door and occasionally escaped into our yard, forcing us to march them home to their waiting owners.

My first dog, Jimmy, was a black and white cocker spaniel with droopy eyes and and incredibly docile nature. You could do absolutely anything to do that dog and he wouldn't bat an eyelid, which says a lot considering my sister and I, who were toddlers at the time, were constantly sitting on him, prodding him and dragging him around the house.

Jimmy suffered in old age with a number of health problems, and I still remember the day when my Dad told us he had made the difficult decision to put him down. I think everyone's first dog still holds a special place in their heart.

OTHER NEWS:

And then, along came Lucky.

Lucky was a scruffy terrier from the pound, adopted as a companion for my grandmother after my grandfather died.

She was also a gentle dog, but had some strange behaviours suspected to be the results of abuse in her past life.

My grandmother, or Nonna as I call her, has always loved animals and always had a special way with them. She always had some dog or another nipping at her heels as she made her way around the pineapple farm she used to live on.

As her English wasn't perfect, her dogs always had very interesting names. 'Foofy' the Border Collie springs to mind as an example.

Nonna loved Lucky, and Lucky loved Nonna. This mutual love was almost certainly fueled by the fact that Nonna used to feed Lucky fatty bacon offcuts almost every day.

When Nonna eventually moved into a retirement village and wasn't allowed to bring Lucky with her, my family inhereted her.

But, the bond my Nonna and Lucky shared still remained strong and was impossible to replicate.

Every time I would visit my Nonna, although I'm sure she was glad to see me, she would always ask about Lucky.

I had moved interstate by the time Lucky died, also plagued by illnesses related to old age. It was sad to see her go, as she was a source of happiness for our family during a difficult time. We will always be grateful for the happiness she brought to my Nonna.

Dogs truly do become important members of a family and a community, which is why it makes sense that there is a whole day dedicated to them each year.

Like me, you might want to spend this day reflecting on the way dogs have made your, and the lives of the people around you, a whole lot brighter.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?: Send letters to the editor or story tips to editor.kathtimes@austcommunitymedia.com.au