Hi mark..let me start off by saying that im sorry for yrou loss..on aug.29th in 2005 at about 9ish in the morning, i suffered a loss as well…..i had to turn to my dog of 10 years and say “thank you for being the best dog in the world and momma loves you very much stinky…im sorry..momma loves you stinky..”…right before i let his collar go and watched while he swam away from me.. .i turned to grab on to the tree..and turned back to check his progress…and he was gone..i dint see him sink..i dint see him swim he was just gone in a split second…it took all that i had left in me not let go of that tree and allow myself to be swept away with the current…you see,while hurricane katrina was bearing down on us and everyone was evacuating,my family refused to take me AND my animals ( not only did i have tiger but i also had 2 baby rats and 1 old rabbit- im an animal lover through and through.) so i stayed … if this was to be the end for my babies then i would see them through…my tiger was with me through hell and higih water…there’s was no way in hell that i was going to leave him lock in a hous while i was safe and dry…so why is it 2 years later that i feel like the lowest form scum???..when i think of that whole scene i feel like someone is squeazing my heart..how do i cope? i will never ever in a million years forget him…it just makes me feel very ill to know that he’s not with me anymore…right now i feel like im rambling on, maybe cause im fighting back a wave of tears…i feel like i could have done more…i feel lost with out my stinky…now dont get me wrong, i have 4-yes,4- dogs now ,and i love them all dearly but none of them will ever replace tiger..he was loved by all who met him much like your spritey…i read your book back in december..and it touched me very deeply.. after the storm, i always avoided books about the loss of animals just because it i was already having daily flasbacks and didnt want anything to further trigger them..but something urged me on to read your story…and im glad i did.. i was starting to think that a lot of people didnt share my love of animals….im sobbing now..and im at work (at a doggie daycare)..must go..i hope that my grammar isnt too bad…i just very sad today…..

Jane from GA