Mark, I just finished reading your book, Rescuing Sprite. I just wanted to thank you for sharing your story. I recently made the heart-wrenching decision to lay to rest my beloved pug and faithful companion of almost 15 years. His name is Spanky and he left us on May 2, 2009. I got Spanky when he was 5 months old from a pet store. My husband (at the time) and I had gone into the store a few different times over a 5 month period and this little guy was still there. I visited him every time we were there and badly wanted to take him home but my husband had just given me a rottweiler and I didn’t think it was right to ask for another dog. However on our third trip to this store, when I saw that this pug was still there I made it clear that we were not leaving without him. I named him Spanky on our way home. Spanky was such a sweet little guy who never met a stranger. He had to meet everyone that he walked past and seemed offended if someone walked by without saying hello. Spanky was my most faithful friend for many years through many stages and heartaches in my life. Within the last year Spanky’s age was really starting to show and I could see that his health was deteriorating. Although this broke my heart, my husband and I had a very wonderful event happen last August. We were blessed with a very beautiful and healthy baby boy. Naturally this took a lot of attention away from Spanky but I always tried to make sure that he knew his momma still loved him just as much as ever. There is a part of me that feels guilty that I was not able to give him as much attention with a new baby around but I knew that this was God’s plan. One of my most precious friends would be leaving me soon and God gave me this little baby to help ease the pain. Saying goodbye to Spanky was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my 36 years of life. I knew what had to be done and it tore me up but I found the courage to do it. I knew it was the right thing to do. I did not want Spanky to lose his dignity and I could not bare to watch him suffer. I apologize for the length of this story but your story really touched my heart and I wanted to share mine with another dog lover who understands. I had Spanky cremated and his remains are here at our home. Although I’ve had many pets in my life, Spanky will always be my most special, beloved little friend. God Bless you and your family sir. Sincerely,

Dawn from OK