Dear Mr Levine,

I recently read your book and was touched very deeply by the stories of your dogs Sprite and Pepsi. I am a fellow dog lover and what I found out very quickly in my adult life is that people who do not share love and passion for animals (particularly dogs) do not understand… you can talk and talk but unless they have experienced the love of a dog they don’t get it. I compare it to a first time mother experiencing raising a baby for the first time. She fiends for other new mothers to relate to… and the book you wrote is reaching out to people like me, who love their dog as if they were part of the family, irreplaceable.

My fiance Keir and I adopted an 8 week old husky 2 years ago. We have had Wilson for the same amount of time you had Sprite. 2 years in words does not seem like a long time but I understand when you talk about the bond you had with sprite because I share that bond with my dog. Wilson is his two years of life has managed to make Keir and I a family. When Keir first decided to get Wilson, him and I were unsure of where our future was going. Wilson grounded us, he made us a family, Wilson was our missing link. I say this now with certainty because as I write this I stare down at the diamond ring on my finger, a commitment I am not sure Keir was capable of before Wilson. I am not even sure I can explain to you what happened to Keir when Wilson came along but it changed him… it changed us…. it changed everything…

Your writing about Sprite reminded me so much of our Wilson particularly when you described Sprite turning towards the breeze on a windy day, taking in every smell and scent that reaches his nose, simply taking in life. Wilson is so much the same. Keir and I find ourselves smiling just looking at Wilson as he falls asleep sitting up or is trotting around our yard smiling – he is our pride and joy. I don’t share this with a lot of people because most people can not begin to understand, but you get it. I have come to realize that if we all take some time to live our lives with the philosophies our pets do, we would grow old very happy people just enjoying the simple things, like fresh green grass, sunny days and chirping birds.

I smiled through the first half of your book and sobbed through the second half. I find myself kissing my dog more everyday (if that is possible) and appreciating every moment of him even more. I can only hope Wilson will die many years from now from old age but I do find myself sometimes thinking about what would happen if he should suffer from an untimely death and it literally takes away my breath. I guess only time will tell but I imagine I will revisit your book often as Wilson grows and will find comfort in your words when Wilson’s final days do come.

Thank you for taking the time to honor the importance of pets to their owners and thank you for giving back to our community by taking in dog’s like Sprite… There is a lot to be said for people who rescue dog’s from shelters.

Best wishes to your family and god bless Sprite

Adrienne from MA