Dear Mr. Levin,
I usally don’t write to authors but, I just finished your book Rescuing Sprite and I feel that I need to contact you to tell you my story about my 11 year old golden retreiver Jake who died Dec.5,2007.

Between Nov.07 and Dec.5 07 Jake,s health started to go rapidly down. He would have his good days and bad days. The day before he died in my arms was a wonderful day for him and our 3 year old Bernese Mt. dog. They had eaten dinner that evening and then went outside and played hard he loved to run and play with Gracie and they did that for about an hour. It was like he new it was his last big run with her. By the time I got home that evening he was bloated and in some pain and was trying to vomit every half hour. I waited until morning to call the vet. My husband and I got Jake in the car, he had had a seiszure just before we picked him up to put him in the car. He worked hard trying to help him but,Jakes heart was to weak and he left me and Gracie and the rest of our family. I went through the terrmoil that I should have done more or should have gotten him to the vet earlier but, the vet told me that he was very weak and he did’nt think he could make it through surgery to find out what was wrong with him. He thought that his stomach had twisted. I felt so bad and kept telling my self that I hadn’t done all I could do for him.

My heart hurts everytime I think about him and I think of him from the time I get up in the morning till I go to bed at night. My other dog Gracie just roams around the house looking for Jake. My heart hurts for her too.

In the book you talked about the depression you were going through. I know about that I lost weight, did my job but, when I got home I would miss him not being here and Gracie and I would walk and walk but, we always went the same way we went with Jake.I know all of this will get better but, it still hurts.

My husband got your book for me for Christmas. I read the intro. and was in tears by the time I finished that so, I put the book down for awhile. The next day I started reading again and I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with Pepsi and then fell in love with Sprite. It made my heart feel good to know that there are other people out there that feel so strongly about there pets as I do. Our dogs are part of our family they go every where with us and are always here. I guess I see them like two more of our children. When our son Adrian was graduating from high school and moving on with his life we went to
see Jake. Then 3 weeks later when he was 7 weeks old we brought him home and he just fit with all of us. He was a great big red dog and we loved him. Our son moved out of our house and had to leave Jake. He had many times that he could have taken him but, he did’nt. Jake would get so excited when Adrian would come home. He got to know the sound of his truck when he would be coming down the road, he would know when they were going to go hunting,when Adrian would get his gun out and put it in the truck Jake knew he would be going too. He was a good friend to his whole family.

Thank you for writing about your short but, wonderful life with Sprite. He was another great dog that was so lucky that your family rescued him. It makes me happy to know other people out there that feel so strongly about there pet and dogs as I do. I am so very glad that I kept reading and finished your book, It is wonderful.

Thank You!

Carolyn from WY