I just finished sobbing my way through “Rescuing Sprite”. Reading it made me relive having to put my own beloved dog to sleep this past New Year’s Eve. Abbey came to my husband and I when she was 8 weeks old. My husband had always wanted a German Shorthaired Pointer, a hunting dog to hunt with. It soon became evident that Abbey was more content being with us than she was learning to hunt. We were fine with this but sensed that Abbey, now 1 year old, needed a furry friend too as well as her human companions. Off to Save- A – Pet we went. Our search of the shelter led us to a beautiful, gentle soul named Ranger. Ranger was a black and tan Shepard/Rott mix estimated to be about a year old. His gentle , calm demeanor was the perfect compliment to the very energetic and outgoing Abbey. This story would not be complete without mentioning that we believe that Abbey and Ranger had already met and bonded before we found him that day at the shelter and this is how. My husband would take Abbey to a dog park near our home almost everyday. One day they came back and he told me that he now knew why he liked dogs more than most people….He said that there was a shepard mix that had been dumped at the dog park sometime earlier that day and nobody could get close to it. Animal Control was there and trying to capture the dog. Abbey must have sensed that he needed a friend and she approaced him and they began to play . Eventually, animal control was able to coax the shepard close enough to catch him. Our visit to Save A Pet was approximately 1 month after this encounter at the dog park. When we asked to see Ranger and possibly adopt him we were told by the shelter volunteers that he was dumped in a park and had been at Save A Pet for almost a month! My husband immediately thought that this handsome dog was the same poor soul that had been carelessly left alone a month earlier at the dog park. Our suspicions were confirmed after we had the required “Meet and Greet ” with Abbey before we could adopt him. We introduced them that day at the shelter and they were immediately friends. (more…)

Dear Mark, Ijust finished reading about your spritey, I just lost our family dog, Amy, a big beautiful alaskan malmute to bone cancer at the age of 8 years 11 months, she had bone cancer in her left front ankle. I loved her like no other dog in my life (I’m 57) and shew loved me more than I coul;d Imagine she was put to sleep on Mar. 19, 08. it was the hardest thing I havew ever done in my life, I felt your pain in the hours preceding sprites passing for my wife and I experenced the exact thing we knew the night before she would have to be put down the next day she was in so much pain she was on 100mg’s of trammadol three times daily which she didn’t like. but nothing could stop the pain and we didn’t want to go tomorphine to give her afew more days we knew it would have torn up her stomach, we went to an orthopedic onoclagast and brought her and the e-rays fom our first vet and he said she is a big dog and amputation would not be advisable, he said she had 1 to 3 months left, I prayed for 3 but we got 1month exactly. she knew we were hart broken about her. she could tell but she tried to be upbeat as best she could malutes are inhsde/outside dogs, they love there family and she loved being in the house with us but she would sleep outside at night whewre it was cooler for her. I made her a large platform for her big mattress to sleep outin the open she also had a large igloo she would sleep in when it snowed or rained. when she was daignosed with bone cancer she slept in my room every nite, I know it was to comfort me. I also walked her every morning we live in the mountains of san diego so we have a beautiful wooded fenced acre so she had her room she loved her propery and home we had her put to sleep in a grassy area she took her naps by a hospice vet at our home we called her Amy’s angel she also had a wonderful last day, but she was in so much pain. (more…)

When Freedom came in she could not stand. Both wings were broken, her left wing in 4 places. She was emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vet’s office. From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for weeks.

This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn’t stand. It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn’t stand in a week. You know you don’t want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning. She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon. I didn’t want to go to the center that Thursday, because I couldn’t bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear. I went immediately back to her dowl cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then. That was a very good day. (more…)

Just our nutty dog. Half Husky and Half Beagle. We call her breed a “kookle” . Her name is Lucy , AKA “Snap-jaw”.
We love ya,

Mark from AL

I just finished your book. We have 6 dogs. I took them all outside and REALLY looked at each one of them grazing in the yard. I will forever look at these dogs differently because of what you wrote. The time here will be so short and your book really made me see this. I plan to plant a tree before we lose each one and take a picture with them and their tree. I feel it will make a great memory. Thanks to you for changing my day with my dogs!!!!

Lisa from OH

Your book caught my eye, as i had to put my purdi to sleep just three days before. I had her for 10 years, and i still struggle with the gaping hole in my chest. but wouldnt trade those 10 yrs for anything!

Becky from IN