I adore my dog Cora. My husband and I had cats over the years but did not have a dog………yet. So we both agreed to look. I spent many hours at the Cherryland Humane Society in Traverse City, MI but could not find the fit for my husband. So I went to Petfinder and found a Whippet mix named Cora. I asked many questions about her and on a Saturday afternoon we travelled 2.5 hours to Bellwether Harbor in Fremont, MI (beautiful facility) and took home our Cora to the cats (3). She has been my running companion and work buddy for the last 4 years. We both love her dearly and enjoy the walking and running in the woods. She is so sensitive but quite the athlete. I believe she has enhanced our lives.
Thank you Mark for sharing your book with all of us. I tried to hold back the tears but absolutely could not. I lost a cat (to FIP) that I adored a year ago June and still miss him and think of him often. Pets are very good for us. Great companions and so comforting. They love us no matter what! Too bad more humans don’t take a bit of that attitude toward other people.

Barb from MI

Dear Mark,

Thank you for writing the book “RESCUING SPRITE”.  My sincere, heartfelt condolences.  I have there, done this. You put into words the raw feeling of losing your “best pal, friend, companion and confidant”.  How can one snuff out the life of such a precious treasure?  That is still bothering me and my conscience will not let me be.  Oh yes, my scientific mind says ”Yes, you did the right thing”  The suffering had to stop, but my HEART says “How could you?  ”Something you loved so dearly, something you treasured snuffed out.  Who are YOU to play GOD?  I cry again and again over my action.  Dear GOD, forgive me, to play your role and most of all forgive me my beloved “friend”.  I truly LOVE you and believe, I will NEVER forget you.  My heart aches so, as this was not an easy thing to do.  May one day we see each other again and may I have the opportunity to touch, hug, stroke, pet and tell you so, how much you enriched my life, my dearest dog.

As your book pointed out these feelings are not strange or wrong, nor am I alone in this.  Thank you, dear “FRIEND MARK”, a dog lover just like me, and I am sure, many numerous others.  Your book gave me the courage to grieve openly, what I kept inside for a long time and suffered in silence.  In this case silence is NOT golden, you proved that so beautifully to ALL us readers.

Marianne from NY

I read Rescuing Sprite with my wife this past January-February.  It made us cry more than a few times.  She\’d had a miniature poodle named Lucy growing up in Athens, Greece.  Her dog died a few years ago at the age of 20.  My white boxer, Patch, was nine years old at the time, and had been my little buddy through all of my good and bad times.  He was living with my parents and had developed a cough which we and the vet had attributed to allergies.  Thanks to Mark\’s book, I began to take every opportunity I could to hug my dog and tell him how much I loved him.  I even took to kissing him on his smooth, soft head.  On April 17th, while I was studying late in a library, I got a message from my sister asking me if I had heard the news about Patch.  I called her right away, and she explained that the vet had taken X-rays that showed my beloved pet had a significantly enlarged heart which was pressing on his trachea and causing his cough.  Our mom was going to take him to a specialist in the morning, but the prognosis was that he would only be with us for a few more weeks at best.  I left the library and went home to my wife to cry on her shoulder.  We were already planning to go home that weekend, so we were going to make the most of our time with Patch.  We never got the chance.  Early the next morning as I was coming home from the gym, I got a message from my mom saying that Patch had just died.  My wife and I were devastated.  I was able to take solace, however, in knowing that I had taken every opportunity to hold him and tell him how much I loved him.  And that was thanks to reading Mark\’s book.  Thank you Mark.

Gerard from NY

Monday night I lost my dog of 12years, Blondie. She was a mut (Anatolian Sheepdog!) She was loyal to me and our family, such a good dog! Our other dog 9 yrs old Buster is a black “english Lab.” – mut he mourns her I think. They were very close! She was there for me through the years. She was brave to the very end, I am sure she was in pain but never cryed out. Apparently, a tumor burst the spleen and she had internal bleeding ….into her stomach. My daughter in her teens took it hard, to help her heal, I told her go to the pound, see that lots of dogs need the kind of love we have…… she found a dog simular to our Blondie, but we both agreed she went to that dog for the wrong reasons. I told her not another dog for a few months….. but as I left a dog caught my eye, I barely acknowledged the dogs in there but she caught my eye. Now she “haunts” me … in a good way! She made me smile and I long to see her … happiness again. I vowed that when it was Blondie’s time I would get another dog, a Shepherd… Ok you know the “personality” of a Shepherd… but “Roxy” at the pound a mut ( they say heeler, terrier mix) she’s “orange” colored medium sized dog and has a joyful personality. Am I crazy?… I long to go see her, I even went back to the pound after work today ,just to see her. My husband says follow your heart…. my ever prevalent practical side says .. no wait…. am I nuts?… I think I may come home with Roxy tomorrow……

Laura from AZ