We all want to be loved. So we enter a relationship. We often feel let down. It does not feel conditional, the way our grandparents treated us as children. We miss it. We sometimes received it from our parents as well. In any case, it seems to evaporated from the planet. Or has it?

We finish high school or college and find out the world is not the same as the safety of the academic womb with someone holding our hand down the hallway of academia. We are on our own. We have to learn to love and be loved or be alone. Is that all there is to life? Not quite.

Pet care can be a lifesaver. Not just for the pet but for the owner, especially for the owner. Sounds strange, I know, but it is so true. They teach us something we cannot learn anywhere else. Unconditional love; that we can pass on to other humans. It works. Try a relationship before owning a pet, during, and after. You will notice dramatic changes in the dynamics of your human relationships, whether they be intimate or casual friends.

If you don't think we learn it from them, think again. That is one of the few if any places we do learn such a wonderful way to live. We learn tolerance, patience, forgiveness and so much more.

I will give a silly example but think about it. More often than not, we have our pets spayed or neutered, which is a smart thing, unless we are breeders of them.

But dog is still man's best friend. Can you imagine having the same procedure done to your own human best friend, and he or she come home and lick you in the face the next day wagging his/her tail and wanting nothing but your love or attention? It is a strange reality but a reality nevertheless. A pet simply wants shelter, food and attention. What we get back is priceless. It is a better investment than Fidelity Mutual Funds in my book.

A dog (and even a cat) loves you simply for being you. There is an old Irish prayer, "Lord, please make me half the man my dog thinks I am".

And if you think a dog or cat will love you unconditionally, you can take that a step further. Try adopting one from your local shelter. Cats and, it seems especially dogs, have a keen 6th sense and memory that is better than an elephant. They will appreciate you and show you a kind of love you've never had, simply for saving them. And believe me, they know. I don't know how but they do and remember it forever.

My latest stray "Thor", a mixed breed that I found in the woods in rural Ms just passed away last month. He looked a lot like Benji. That was 12 years ago. He lived, the vet believes, to be almost 22 years old. Ironically, the first Benji, (there have been more) was found not far from where I discovered him. Or he discovered me and won my heart.

After caring for this dog for several years, I noticed passersby to be much more pleasant to me. I thought it was because I had such a cute friendly people-loving dog. Maybe that was a part of it, but the major part of it was Thor had taught me something I had never experienced before, unconditional love like I'd never seen. That dog loved me no matter what, and I could tell in his face he wanted me to "pass it forward". I did.

A tear comes to my eye when I think about Thor but I remember the good times too which were many. I will think of him for a long time before adopting another dog and know that I will experience this most unique phenomena that can be found nowhere else. Everyone should have this blessed experience.

Author Rick London is a cartoonist who created Londons Times Cartoons. He focuses a great deal of his work on animal-related cartoons, particularly dogs and cats and manufacturers funny gifts and collectibles with their images. One of his stores that features such dog and cat products as tshirts, casual wear, mouse pads, aprons, hoodies and more is the Rick London Wear online store, established 1997. A percentage of each sale goes to benefit various animal groups and causes.

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