Forest
Dear Mark,
We love you and your show, you tell it like it really is! Our story is quite long but I think you will find it interesting. We too are dog people we have 8 in our home all are rescued dogs of various sizes and breeds, 5 small ones a yorkie, a mini pincher, and 3 Chihuahuas 3 large ones 2 that are a mixed breed and the last one is a beautiful German shorthair pointerWe also own horses as I am a professional trainer and a Hollywood Stuntman and actor, I was diagnosed a little over a year ago with Kidney failure I guess I almost died while I was living alone and working out in LA while my partner Marilyn was back here in Texas holding down the fort , and what a major job that was, I guess that is the main reason I am writing this to you is to speak of what a hero Marilyn is to me. We had three other different dogs back then none of which is with us now as we had to put 3 to sleep at different times in the last 2 years. Marilyns beagle dog was the most recent then there was our ladybug she simply died of old age and Forest our Dalmation, he was a beautiful dog he died suddenly of bladder disease All of this Marilyn had to virtually handle on her own plus take care of and care for 4 horses one of which is a beautiful Paint stallion, we actually own 6 I brought 2 back with me from California, all of this of course was compounded by my health condition which we are dealing with today and continue to love our dogs ( and 3 cats too ) and 6 horses
my stallion is becoming a champion cow horse, that is what I primarily train is working cow horses, I still try to work although it is hard as each day I am not sure how I will feel, and we strugle with the system and all of the red tape one has to go through to get help financial or otherwise for a situation such as this.
Kevin from TX
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Dear Mark,
A friend bought me your book and finally gave it to me tonight, three months after our beloved Yaffa died. She was also a rescue who came to us in 1998 via a rescue organization on Long Island. She was a yellow lab but had only three legs as a result of being hit by a car and left to die. This organization found her and rescued her but could not save her leg. From the day we brought her home she was the most loving and gallant dog. Based on some history that the rescue group was able to discover, she had been abandoned at least twice and on the streets for at least six months. We also noticed that except for my husband with whom she bonded immediately she shyed away from men but was comfortable around women. She tolerated other dogs, including our beloved Sheba who died in 2000 and our current dog Brandy, also a rescue, who we have since mid 2001.
I so identified with your story. Although we were blessed to have her for almost ten years, she also developed a brain tumor in the last years of her life. It was inoperable and since she was at least 13 the vet didn’t believe that she could survive chemo or radiation. We loved her with all our hearts and it was agony letting her go on September 1st of this year. The vet came to our house and yes, she ate and drank water just fine on that last day. It has been so difficult and I constantly wonder if we did all we could for her.
Friends remind me, as yours have done, what a wonderful life we gave her, but sometimes the grief is overwhelming.
I know in time it will get better for us as I’m sure it will for you and your family. Bless you.