2004-2005 brought changes of unimmaginable proportions to our family and our 15 year old Westie named Topper sustained us through the darkest of days.

The day after Thanksgiving in 2004 the call to our home came that a parent never wants to hear. Our beloved son Glenn had been killed in an automoblie accident. Needless to say our family was devastated and simply tried to put one foot in front of the other each day, and simply try to cope with a tremendous hole in our lives.

At that time our dog Topper was aging quickly at 15; showing signs of arthritis, heart problems, and other age related illnesses, but he stayed close to my husbnad and I during the next few months. He would look at us and somehow communicate that he understood the pain we were feelling.

He sustained us, loved us and comforted us when we could not cope with our grief.

Topper held on until he felt we no longer needed his care every day.

5 months to the day of our son’s death out dear little soul joined him in Heaven.

Sometimes in a life we are blessed with special people and special pets. We are blessed as a family.

I had resisted getting a new pet, and wondered if there would ever be another Topper. Well, along came Freddie. Freddie ia a little mixed Silky Terrier of unsure age who was hit by a car and left for dead on the side of a busy highway.

Freddie was brought into the shelter where I work, was taken to the emergency vet and found to have a broken pelvis, broken bones, deep bruises and a bone almost implanted into his back from the force of the hit.

After treatment our vet said he needed 8-10 weeks of cage rest and would possibly never walk , run or get up stairs without assistance. My staffers brought him up to my office, held him out and said “This dog is really cute and really needs you.”
I agreed to take Freddie home as a “loaner” and help get him well. Needless to say Freddie is not a loaner, walks fairly well, cannot climb stairs, still has boken bones that will never heal, but the joy of a happy bark at the other side of the door when we come home is priceless.

Freddie goes on car rides in a special seat, loves to visit PetSmart, loves to visits the ladies in our bank lobby for treats and never exhibits pain or discomfort.

He has brought something back into our lives that is so special this year.

I just read Rescuing Sprite and have made it my stocking stuffer of choice this holiday season. It moved me to send this little story of hope to you.

Thank you for a wonderful and meaningful story that touched our hearts.

Sincerely,

Pat and Greg from NJ