Dear Mark:

The sweet part of this story is at the end, I hope you have time to read my e-mail. Thanks for all you do!!

My daughter has recently been dealing with many sad issues concerning her two dear dachshund friends of 15 years, Ruby and Crosby. For several months she and her husband have been struggling with the issue of whether to put Ruby down. I gave them a copy of your book as I felt it would help them get through this hard decision. Ruby has back issues that had rendered her unable to walk. She is still attentive and right at your heels when she hears you in the kitchen. Unable to take that ultimate move they have treated her with holistic medicines, acupuncture and even the wheels on her back legs. They have been assured that she is in no real pain. Amazingly, she is now able to walk without the wheels and has made some incredible improvement. She and her brother Crosby have been great friends to each other, to my husband and daughter and finally to my three grandchildren especially Matt 5 ½ and Abby 2 ½.

Sadly, over the holidays, Crosby, who was in very good physical health, was hit by a car. They were here at my home in Illinois, and on the morning they were returning to their home they received a call from their barn manager (she has a horse farm) that Crosby had been killed. He had never wandered away ever; he loved visiting the barn and had a little route that he followed when he was outside. Something drew him away that evening as he was found down by the front pasture. The pain of his loss has been hard for my daughter and her children. However, Matthew, my five year old grandson brought some levity to this sad event. When my husband and I arrived for a visit with them last weekend, Matthew told me that he wanted to put on a magic show for me. He ran out of the room and returned in cape and top had with a wand and a box. He handed me the box, taped the lid of the box and told me to open it. I was not expecting what I saw, as the contents of the box did not register at first. Matt then said “Grandma this is the Spirit of Crosby”. I could not help but smile, and Matt told me that he was going to ask Father Bill to pray for Crosby when he and I went to Church on Sunday and he did.

My kids had to have Crosby cremated because the ground was frozen. They plan to have a ceremony for Crosby as soon as the ground is not frozen or too wet. Fortunately my little grandchildren will be able to put their sadness behind them when they see their new puppy that will soon come to their home, but I know Jennifer, my daughter and her husband Tom will never forget Crosby and in the not too distant future Ruby too.

Kathleen from IL