header

Luke

Hello Great One!
Hi Mark, I want to say that I have loved listening to you for years and as a Salesman who travels into the Northeast often I always turn my dial to WABC so that I can hear your show. You are definitely a great american and I certainly enjoy your very intelligent and witty commentary. Keep up the good work.

I haven’t yet read your new book, Rescuing Sprite, but I do intend to. I too am an avid dog lover. It never used to be that way until I got my first dog. I had always grown up with and had cats. I still have one cat. I have found though that I have truly become a dog lover first and foremost. The first dog that I had was named Luke. He was a Yellow Lab who I got when he was a puppy. I was talked into getting Luke by my exwife, probably the best thing that she ever talked me into. After a year I was talked into getting a second dog, a Black Lab named Angus so that Luke would have a playmate. They were great dogs and I still have Angus so as you can tell Luke is now no longer with me in this world but remains in my heart.

Luke was a wonderful and very loving dog. I had never understood what it meant to have a dog as a pet unitil I had gotten these guys. They truly are your best friends and to me, since I do not have children, they were and are my children. Luke was one of the most gentle and loving dogs in the world. He was truly a big old lug who was always there when I came home from work and brought total joy to my life. This last May I had to put this wonderful boy down at the young age of 9 years old. It was for me the most awful thing that I ever had to do. Luke had kidney problems for awhile which had suddenly worsened last April as his kidneys had begun to shut down. for over a week I had given him IV’s to keep his electrolytes up but it soon became apparant that, despite my hope that he might get better, his kidneys were not going to function. I had to make that awful decision that all dog owners eventually face about quality of life and had to let him go. It was so hard Mark, and I went through my state of intense grieving for many days later. The day I took Luke in to the vet he was again Lethagic and shaking as I put him into my truck. I had walked with him one more time and with tears in my eyes as I drove him to the vet I kept asking myself if this the best thing. When we got to the vet he seemed to sudenly be revived. When we were inside he seemed like his old self. When we met with the vet I didn’t want to do what I had come to do because he seemed so good. But the vet explained that it was just his excitement and that he wasn’t any better and that if it was not then it would be another day or two and he would have to go. They told me that we could wait but I had gotten there and felt that I couldn’t stand to see him suffer anymore and go through the drive again. The vet gave me and my girlfriend some time alone with him before it had to be done. The time we had was truly remarkable. Luke was always a kisser but during these last few minutes he kissed and licked my face like he had never done before. I almost felt like he was really thanking me for the life he had and was in his own way saying goodby as well.I never wanted to let him go……but I had to. The vet came in again and it was time. I had decided that I would be with him and hold him through the procedure. Although it truly was the most horrible thing that I ever had to do, I wanted to be with my buddy, my best friend. It was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do and for days I felt horrible. Oh how we love these animals so much and how God awful it is to finally let go. As I said though I had to be with him through it and watching him die in my arms was awful but he did die with me hugging him and knowing that he was so loved. I will never forget him Mark and eventually I did get another dog, a female Yellow Lab to be a playmate for Angus. Luke will be in my heart forever. I had him cremated and have his ashes at home. My neighbor did a montage drawing of him through the years that I will alway cherish and I have his ashes as well as a clay cast of his paw print to remind me of my buddy, my best friend who someday I will see again. Thank you Mark, for writing this book. I so look forward to reading it and God bless you my friend and may he ease your pain that you too have felt on the loss of your best friend. Keep up the good work that you do and I’ll keep listening.
Sincerely,

Scott from IN

Luke