Vito
We had to put our 13 year old dog,vito to sleep yesterday.i am feeling such deep grief right now that it feels like physical pain. he was the only dog i ever had and he was my best friend.i don’t see how i’ll ever get over this.
Dale from NJ
Although Mark Levin is known as a constitutional lawyer and a nationally syndicated broadcaster, he is, first and foremost, a dog lover. In 1998, he and his family welcomed a half-Border Collie/half-Cocker Spaniel they named Pepsi into their lives. Six years later, his wife and son persuaded him to adopt a dog from the local shelter, a Spaniel mix. It turned out he was older than originally thought, and he was the most beautiful dog they'd ever seen. They named him Sprite.
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Listener Stories
My Golden
Dear Mr Levin,
I’m a business traveler and dog lover. I have always owned Golden retrievers. So parts of the books were particularlly moving and sad especially the ABC executive who lost his Golden in the pool incident. It always astounds me when such powerful people have such affection for their dogs. We have a 2 yr boy Golden -who loved to pieces.
I had not purchased the book until I was in the Atlanta Hartsfield’s airport. Silly me decided to start it on the plane, and started to cry almost immediately. I just completed the book and boy it packed a punch. You have so eloquently put into words and context the joy and sadness what our friends bring us. I know this much is true, I would not be the person I am today had I not had my dogs in my life. They make us better people.
The lessons I have learned no book, school, or church could have taught me. In my career, I can be on my game all in time and successful etc… but my Golden gives me such piece of mind away from it all. Thank you so much for writing this book.
I’m a business traveler and dog lover. I have always owned Golden retrievers. So parts of the books were particularlly moving and sad especially the ABC executive who lost his Golden in the pool incident. It always astounds me when such powerful people have such affection for their dogs. We have a 2 yr boy Golden -who loved to pieces.
I had not purchased the book until I was in the Atlanta Hartsfield’s airport. Silly me decided to start it on the plane, and started to cry almost immediately. I just completed the book and boy it packed a punch. You have so eloquently put into words and context the joy and sadness what our friends bring us. I know this much is true, I would not be the person I am today had I not had my dogs in my life. They make us better people.
The lessons I have learned no book, school, or church could have taught me. In my career, I can be on my game all in time and successful etc… but my Golden gives me such piece of mind away from it all. Thank you so much for writing this book.
Kim from NJ
Rufus
Dear Mark,
I’ve just read your book rescuing Sprite in two days flat and have cried so much. Sprite will be known all over the world soon through your book, indeed I live in England and hope this message reaches you. Despite the geographical distance one thing ultimatley unites all dog lovers over the world and that is pure love for our dogs. I have a 15 year old crossbred dog called Rufus and he is my child. I have no children so he means the world to me and although he is in very good health and shape for his age, I am dreading the day I have to say goodbye to him, my heart will feel as if it’s been ripped from my body, but I will be keeping your book to give me the strength to cope with this time, knowing that you and your family coped with your loss of beautiful Sprite. I admire you for being able to wear your heart on your sleave through writing your book, it’s not easy for a man to display the emotions you did, but thank god you did.
You gave Sprite so much in his short time with you and of course Pepsi and Griffen are happy dogs.
I’m sure Sprite will be very happy to know you rescued another one of his
doggy friends in Griffen,
Thank you Mark, you have given so much to your dogs, but you have also given the courage to
other pet owners to face
the day we all dread.
Jeannie from England
Guido & Sparky, Brandy
Dear Mark,
I just finished your book and found it to be so very emotionally engaging. I borrowed it from our local library and I am going to purchase a copy to make available on loan through our Hiawatha Animal Humane Society as a valuable aid for folks dealing with the loss of their pets. I am one of the volunteers you referred to in your book, Mark. We are a no shelter facility, so we depend solely on our volunteers to provide temporary foster homes for our animals awaiting adoption. We have a Board of Directors of nine, plus many others in the community…vets, merchants, cocerned citizens, etc. who are willing to help out. I am Secretary and it is my job to photograph the animals, make posters to distribute around the community and to advertise the animals in the newspaper, radio, petfinder, etc. I then help place them and keep records of each of them.
Personally, I have two cats at home of my own, …one, Guido is 18 and I cannot even begin to IMAGINE what my life will be like without him. I also have a disabled cat that I chose for that very reason. Sparky is 10 and brings such joy to all who know him. I also had a Weimaraner named Brandy for 17 years. She died in my arms, just like Sprite did in yours. We “animal people”
are truly blessed. The pain, and there is much of it is worth every bit…because our lives are so enriched by our animal compainions. I applaud your book and understand and share your feelings.
I have a quote that I do not know who originally wrote, that sums up so much of how we feel.
“We never lose those we love. They become a part of us and we carry them around with us whether we see them or not and in the end, we all become a sum total of those we have loved and those who have loved us in return”
I am so glad that there is more and more “animal awareness” in the world today. Books like yours helps with that mission.
Thanks! And God bless!
Karen from MN
I just finished your book and found it to be so very emotionally engaging. I borrowed it from our local library and I am going to purchase a copy to make available on loan through our Hiawatha Animal Humane Society as a valuable aid for folks dealing with the loss of their pets. I am one of the volunteers you referred to in your book, Mark. We are a no shelter facility, so we depend solely on our volunteers to provide temporary foster homes for our animals awaiting adoption. We have a Board of Directors of nine, plus many others in the community…vets, merchants, cocerned citizens, etc. who are willing to help out. I am Secretary and it is my job to photograph the animals, make posters to distribute around the community and to advertise the animals in the newspaper, radio, petfinder, etc. I then help place them and keep records of each of them.
Personally, I have two cats at home of my own, …one, Guido is 18 and I cannot even begin to IMAGINE what my life will be like without him. I also have a disabled cat that I chose for that very reason. Sparky is 10 and brings such joy to all who know him. I also had a Weimaraner named Brandy for 17 years. She died in my arms, just like Sprite did in yours. We “animal people”
are truly blessed. The pain, and there is much of it is worth every bit…because our lives are so enriched by our animal compainions. I applaud your book and understand and share your feelings.
I have a quote that I do not know who originally wrote, that sums up so much of how we feel.
“We never lose those we love. They become a part of us and we carry them around with us whether we see them or not and in the end, we all become a sum total of those we have loved and those who have loved us in return”
I am so glad that there is more and more “animal awareness” in the world today. Books like yours helps with that mission.
Thanks! And God bless!
Karen from MN
My Dachshund
I lost my dog a minature dachshound last year. She was a wonderful friend to us. She was sweet to other animals, and raised our other baby dachshound in a very loving manner. She had undiagnosed diabetes and subsequently developed pancreatitis, which is a very painful condition. Mark, you would not have known she was sick. She lost weight, and we made a vet appointment for here. The night before we put her down, she slept with my husband and I–she slept next to me and would lick me every so often. The vet said her pacreatic enzymes were the highest he had ever seen. The specialist basically told us that she would not recover. Putting her down was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I didn’t want her to suffer more. Because of Honey’s unconditional love, my husband and I decided to adopt a dog from the shelter. Thank you for your courage in writing your book!
Gaye from KY
Puppy with the Flippy Ears
I said to my husband, ‘I want that puppy the one with the flippy ears’ and so it began a never ending cycle of 2 goofy people and an equally goofy dog. We got our evil puppy from a shelter over ten years ago. We were not aware that one chewed sofa, several chairs, seven shoes and several marbles later how entertaining and exasperating she would be. She has her share of health problems which I will share a little later but she is an amazing canine.
Weezie from NJ