I just finished reading your wonderful book about sprite and pepsi and wanted to thank you for sharing those personal thoughts. i have always wanted to write a simple book about what my pets have meant to me thoughout my life but not being the writer you are i relived some of my feelings through your book.

Having volunteered at a shelter for over 20 years and bringing many of them home to take care for me i wanted to share two thoughts.

What you did for sprite is what we work for and seeing people like you and you family makes some of the pain easier to bear.everyone wants a little puppy but you took the ones who have very little hope. my shelter is a no kill so when we would have someone turn in an older dog we knew they had a slim chance of finding a home so we would bond with them and keep them till the end came. they were safe, well cared for and loved but what we really wanted for them was a home -just like yours where they could live out the rest of their lives knowing a family wanted them. occasionally good people came in and took one that noone else wanted but more times we were their final home. so a heartfelt thank you for rescuing sprite and although there will always be a huge void in your heart find a small bit of comfort in knowing how happy you made him for that short time you had with him.

My second thought i really hope you get to read is one that has helped me get through the deep pain and sorrow and tears and mourning that comes after you have to make the decision to ‘put them to sleep”.its from an obscure poem supposedly written to an owner from their dog.the last line is” and when its my time to go i will go knowing that my fate was always safest in your hands”
for all they give to us thats the least we can do for them. and you did.
everytime i write or think of those words i tear up thinking of all my dear friends whose fate i held in my hands.
i have had as many as seven sharing my home and now have onlyfour but the number could change at any moment.they have always been shelter dogs and rescues and the most amazing thing is how willing they are to accept a new friend into the fold.if only people could be like that.
‘thank you for the book.

Barbara from TN