Dear Mr. Levin: Your book about Sprite was sheer joy for me to read. It was also very comforting. I am sending along some photos of Belle.

She had a tragic and unnecessary death due to the misfeasance/nonfeasanceof an animal hospital. We all know that there are vets who run their businesses like Wallstreet
others who really care about animals. Your book details your experiences.

I have a letter that details Belle’s death so please email me your address and I will email or mail it to you. Best wishes for a safe and secure Happy Thanksgiving. I know you will think of Sprite. Me, too.
Sincerely,

Melanie from CA

Hi Mark, We just returned from the vet’s office where I stood & scratched Ernie’s head while the overdose of sedative took his life. We acquired him in June of 1998 from the local dog shelter. He grew to a 90 pound Australian Shepherd with a beautiful blue merle coat & was the most excellent dog my husband & I have ever had anything to do with. However, he was diagnosed with liver cancer about 3-4 months ago & the doctor told us he would get very sick just before he died & that we should consider putting him to sleep at that time.

Well that time arrived ALL to quickly. He has left a big hole in our hearts & even our other Aussie, Gypsy, (was also a used dog) is looking for him as I write. We had taken him to the vet this past Monday (my birthday) when he lanced a tumor on Ernie’s stomach, drained it, sent us home with pills & ointment & with the hope that he might get better. No, he got worse & we couldn’t stand to see him suffer any longer. Although I bought your book (I’m the reader in the family) awhile back, I haven’t had the “courage” to read it. Does that make any sense? But I think I will be able to read it now, as I’ve heard many callers on your program talk about how comforting it is.

Before I even open it I want to thank you for it & for sharing your love of animals this way. May God bless you & yours. Delight P.S. My only pictures of him are not electronic files, but old fashioned photographs. You’ll just have to trust me when I tell you that he was a very handsome animal & quite the gentleman. Thanks for everything you do & love you lots.

C. Delight from MO

Mark,
My wife and I would like to introduce you to our family of Great Danes.  Gunther, our baby blue weighs in at 140 lbs, Gertie, the Boston black, comes in at around 120 lbs, and baby Zoe, the runt, is a mere 100 pounds and she is the star of this story.

2 and 1/2 years ago, my wife lost her beloved Reba, a wonderful Weimaraner and her best friend for over 11 years.  In hopes of easing her pain, I located a Great Dane breeder and took her to meet the six week old, 12 lb baby blue that is Gunther and she fell in love with him almost instantly and so he came home to live with us.  In less than a week, we had Gunther in the emergency veterinarians office as he was extremely lethargic and we couldn\’t figure out what was wrong.  Gunther had such an extreme case of hookworms that he nearly died and only a blood transfusion saved his life at the time.  In a few days, things were back to normal and Gunther was doing what big puppies do.  Over the next few weeks, my wife and I read a lot of information from a lot of different people and locations to learn more about the breed and the things we would need to do, look out for, etc.  We read that Danes do better when  paired with a companion and so, we decided to get Great Dane # 2, Gertie.  We located Gertie online and contacted the breeder concerning getting her as a companion for Gunther.  The breeder was thrilled to know that Gertie was sharing her life with another Dane and with loving parents, however, I do feel she was relieved in finding Gertie a home as she was 10 weeks old and was one of two she had left from a large litter.  So, Gertie comes to live with her new family and to be Gunther\’s playmate and he hers.

Nearly two years had passed since adopting Gunther and starting down the road as a Great Dane Family.  In April of 2008, my wife tells me that she wants to try and get a rescue the next time that we look at getting another Great Dane as opposed to getting a puppy as most Danes who become the property of a shelter do not usually get a second chance as people see their massive size and fear not only the dog itself, but the care and upkeep involved as well.  Two days later, I get a call about a letter received by the Fairfield County, Ohio Humane Shelter concerning a Dane that \”we\” had inquired about.  Now, I had no idea, but I listened to what the woman had to say and informed my wife upon her arrival home that evening.  The following weekend, we took the four hour drive up to Lancaster, Ohio and met Zoe, small in stature, bones protruding, and had the look in her eyes of being lost, not really knowing what she had done to her master to be left in such a place, and she knew only one way to get attention and that was to bark, loudly and often.  The lady at the shelter informed us that she was the product of a puppy mill breeder, and had given birth to three litters in her two year life and then the breeder got rid of her because she had a problem in getting along with other female dogs, or at least that was the reason she gave.  My wife and I discussed the issue with the humane shelter and they assured us that if we wanted to give it a go they would take her back if we had any problems.  So, we brought Zoe back to WV to begin her new life, and hopefully a better life.

When Zoe arrived at our home, she was very apprehensive, as would be expected, but she remained meek while Gunther and Gertie \”checked\” her out.  She was very well mannered, she didn\’t get on the couch as did the spoiled babies that she was introduced to, she didn\’t know what toy was, or if she did she didn\’t know what to do with them.  It took her only a few days to be comfortable and to begin to loosen up a bit.  The following week, we took Zoe for her first checkup at our vet\’s office only to receive horrible news.  (more…)

My dog Gina is a rescue dog that my wife and I found 2 years ago. She was 10 years old at the time and was not doing very well. She had been dropped off at the shelter by someone who found her roaming the streets of Denver. She was very skinny and had problems with her legs that made it difficult for her her to walk and go up and down stairs. She was very sweet in spite of all she had been through and we just had to give her a good home for what ever time she had left. When we got her home it took sometime for her to adjust to the other dogs in the family and there were some fights but after a few months of taking care of her she began to improve a lot. Her limp is almost completely gone and she loves going to the park. She is just one of millions of shelter dogs out there that deserve good homes and it is amazing what a little patience and love will do to help these wonderful dogs get a new lease on life.

Morgan from CO

Hello Mark,
My name is Maria LaRocca and I am the founder of Little Forgotten Friends Rescue and Hospice.  This rescue has anywhere between 60-90 dogs at a time. None of them are caged, they roam freely through my home with every amenity I could possibly give them.  There are 40 permanent pooches here, some are terminally ill, others are aggressive with no chance of adoption and some are simply just old.  I treat my dogs both conventionally as well as holsitically, because I always try to have hope that I can help a dog that the world has given up on.

My heart leans towards the old timers who would have been euthanised had I not brought them here.  There is something so beyond special about senior dogs who\’s spirit was broken as they were dragged to a shelter for what was about to be their final day.  Sometimes I bring them here knowing they WONT survive, that no matter what measures I take they still wont live longer then a few days or weeks.  I take them here to die with dignity as I believe they all desrve.  (more…)