Dear Mr. Levin,

I bought your book and read it last Sunday. Our dog Ruger had cancer. The following Tuesday Ruger took a turn for the worse. Ruger stopped eating and the pain could no longer be controlled.

We made the dreaded appointment for December 12, 2007 at 2 p.m. Wateree Animal Hospital and staff had been caring for Ruger. They were all there for him. As he went to sleep in our arms we saw the pain and the suffering leave his face. It was as though he was a puppy again, once it was over and the pain was gone.

My husband and I rescued Ruger six months after we were married. Rescue is not the right word because Ruger picked us out and we brought him home. He was 8 months to a year old when he found us and he had been dumped at the shelter twice before.

We had him for 11 years and 12 days. Ruger shared our first Thanksgiving and Christmas and all of the good times and bad times though the years. This year we had Christmas at Thanksgiving in case Ruger would be too sick or not be with us for Christmas.

Our hearts are broken we miss him so much.

I want to say that I thank God for sending Ruger to us. In all the years we had Ruger he was never sick or injured. He had a full and wonderful life. Even so those years flew by so fast.

I believe that God knows what he is doing when he gives us a Fur Kid. I think that is God’s way of teaching us humans what real love is. There is no love like the love of a pet it is unconditional. We would never know what real love is if we did not know the love of a Fur Kid.

We also have cats. They were the first to notice that their brother was sick and hovered over him and showered him with love.
Thank you for your idea of planting a tree. We are getting a tree and placing his ashes along with the ashes of two cats he loved and raised in the earth with the tree.
I am sure that Sprite got a new friend in heaven last Wednesday.

God bless you for caring for all the homeless animals.

Warmest regards,

Donna & Richard from SC