Dear Mark,

On the second night of Passover we lost our Yellow Lab mix, Bailey. She had been w/ us since before all our kids were born. As a matter of fact, she knew we were pregnant before we did. I (Brian) had hoped to have more time w/o out a pet. However, I knew I was in trouble when my wife, Roberta, started looking at pet adoption websites. Well, she found a dog at the Henderson County shelter. She then asked each of the kids if they wanted a dog. I was out voted 4-1. We went and got Pancake, who we renamed Sandy. She is a year old Yellow Lab mix and we think maybe some chocolate added in. Our timing could not have been more perfect. The shelter is not a no-kill and had we not rescued her, she would have been euthanized the next day. I should let you know that Sarah is my 8 year old and wanted me to write this. Sorry I don’t have any pictures.

Thank you for all you do.

Brian from NC

I have a ten year old Jack Russell Terrier named Bob Barker. In his early years he lost an eye chasing a ground hog through some bushes. He also developed an allergy to products in commercial dog food.(a vegetarian dog if you will) He is very sweet and follows me everywhere. Recently my son and I are creating some videos of him sitting around and he wants me to do a dog version of you, Mark. He has named those segments BARK Levin. Is this offensive to you? I hope not. It is not meant to be.

Jeff from OR

Wally, my rescue pug is a sweetheart. He was found outside an elementary school near Dallas in late August of 2007. He was turned over the the DFWPugRescue and fostered out to a friend of mine.

Diagnosed with 3rd stage heartworm, nearly blind from neglect of chronic dry eye, hip dysplasia and a dislocated knee cap Wally’s adoptive prospects were not good. But his personality won everyone’s heart, especially mine!

Now, a year and a half later he’s recovered from heartworm, congestive heart failure and onion poisoning, and has recovered a little of his eyesight with constant treatment and is my best little boy. He gets along with everyone, canine and human. Makes long roadtrips in the car with me and is an angel.

Everyone should consider a rescue dog. They are the most loving and appreciative creatures in the world. You will be doing good for them and yourself!

Carol from TX

Candy shivered all the way home when we picked her up in 1992 at the adoption center. Her former owner did not want her anymore because she was “difficult”. She was only one year old.

For the next month I carried her around with me wherever I went and gradually she stopped shaking. I had just lost my job after 22 years and I think we both needed and comforted each other during the next few years. After a while she began to trust us and throughout the years she has always been protective of me.

She is a great joy to have around and I now fondly remember the times when I frantically would call the emergency clinic or my vet because she had jumped on top of the dining room table and eaten an entire stick of butter or cream cheese, chocolate bar or opened the zipper of my handbag and stolen a candy bar.

In 2002 we rescued six month old Missy and then spent the next six months taking her every week to the vet for treatment of parasites, etc. She had come from deplorable conditions and was as scared as Candy had been when she first came to us. It took her quite a while to trust anyone.

During Missy’s first few months with us, Candy used to drag her around. But, as Missy got older and bigger, she would take Candy’s tale in her mouth and “walk” her as if she had her on a leash and so they would run through the house and even up the stairs. They are inseparable.

Last year Candy had several strokes and the prognosis is not good. Her hind legs are almost paralyzed and she wears a diaper. When she hobbles around, she lovingly reminds me of “Grandpa” in the old TV series “The McCoys”. She is now finicky as to what she eats, hamburger, rice, beans, pound cake, occasionally some dog food, melted vanilla ice cream, etc. (Our vet said to give her whatever she’ll eat and thankfully she eats most of the time.) Instead of jumping up, she now walks up to the couch, lies down and waits patiently for someone to come by, pick her up and put her on her favorite spot to look out the window, watch the birds, bark at the squirrels at the bird feeder or sleep. Around ten/eleven in the evening she’ll make her way to the foyer, lay down at the foot of the stairs waiting for someone to carry her up to our bed. (more…)