Hi Mark,

Thank you for sharing your poignant story about the love and loss of your beloved Sprite. Several times you said you nearly stopped writing it because you didn’t think people would read it. Well….I couldn’t put it down. Rescuing Sprite came from Amazon yesterday and today I read it from cover to cover. I fell in love with Sprite through your words and pictures, and sobbed as the inevitable took place. My heart breaks for you and your family as I’ve experienced your pain firsthand. When I was a child, we had two St. Bernards and a Newfoundland. Two of them had to be put to sleep very early (at two and three years respectively) and the other one lived to be 11 or 12. All three were my dearest companions and I ached for them for a very long time.

When my husband and I got married, I had been after him for a dog, and he kept turning me down year after year. They say that everything happens for a reason, and I suppose my husband’s constant denial was no different. On April 20, 2001, I suddenly lost my 42-year old brother Bill to a heart disease (cardiomyopathy). Neither he, nor we knew he was sick and we had to find out at autopsy what could take an otherwise healthy young man in his prime. The grief our entire family experienced was profound and I, already an overly-sensitive person as it is, was having great difficulty accepting it. I was distraught.

Then, three months before the one-year anniversary of Bill’s death, my husband, knowing how grief-stricken and sad I was, surprised me and brought home a beautiful little puppy from a local pet store. I had mentioned her in passing as I saw her in the window (I’m convinced she is the product of a puppy mill, and that somehow we rescued her) and recognized that she was a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier like my brother Doug’s puppy. Abby, my sweet little angel, came into my life when I least expected it, and helped me at a time when I needed her the most. My husband sensed my need for her companionship and to date, outside of giving me my two beautiful daughters, bringing home Abby was his most loving gesture. Abby has been a source of pure happiness and joy and continues to bring me solace and comfort.

Mark, your story touches me and no doubt is touching thousands as I write this. I’m in awe of your passion and spirit and commitment to helping others, especially our beloved animals. I’ve been an avid listener of your program for years, and will continue to listen, enjoying a few tidbits of puppy wisdom in between your dialogues about our wonderful country, military, and freedom.

God bless you and your wonderful family,

Carla from Virginia

P.S. I think you’re right…Griffen does look like he has some Cairn Terrier. He looks a lot like my Abby (her breed is related to Cairn Terriers).