Hi Mark,

I’m so sorry you lost your Sprite and I loved the book (I finished it a few short hours after I got it). We just lost our German Shepard, Emma (December 5 at 10:30 p.m.). We rescued Emma when she was a pup — she was the runt of the litter, very shy and this “breeder” was going to put her down. We had her for almost ten years. This past summer she developed an autoimmune disorder where her body was attacking her red blood cells (to an almost fatal level). She was admitted to the emergency vet hospital (Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, CT — I very highly recommend this place they are great). And, after about five days they great people at the hospital brought our Emma back to health and we were able to bring her home on Halloween. She had a great five weeks, but on the 5th of December she went downhill fast. It wasn’t her red blood cell count this time — it was something else: her heart was racing and her breathing was very different and her mouth was clenched shut. (The vet told me that she most likely had a stroke and there was nothing anyone could have done). I knew in my heart that it was Emma’s time and I wanted to give her a chance to die at home, rather than rush her to the vets and risk her dying alone there or having to put her down. My husband, Matt, got home at 8:30 that evening and Emma was lying on her favorite bed at her favorite spot in the house (behind the sectional in the family room — this was Emma’s den). Matt sat next to her and was petting her (I was outside with our other five dogs). He called for me, but when I got inside, she had already died. Matt told me that she lifted up her head, gave him a kiss and gently died. I prayed to God to please take Emma and spare us of having to do the deed, and He did.

God bless you Mark

Ingrid from CT