My dog Levin (who we used to call “Buddy”) loves to read with me. We are shown here reading Mark’s book, “Men in Black” and Jonah Goldberg’s book, “Liberal Fascism”. We changed Buddy’s name to “Levin” when we started worrying about Mark’s health. After reading “Rescuing Sprite”, we put two and two together…the stories of Mark’s health problems in the book, and listening to him talk about his eating habits on the radio, as well as Mark’s seemingly constant shortness of breath while “on the air”. So we’re doing a test with “our Levin” and feeding him lot’s of Big Mac’s every day and bunches of junk food. We want to see who survives the longest. Our dog Levin, or our favorite talk show host…”the Great One”…Mark Levin.

Honestly Mark, you know we worry about you. You have millions of fans who need you to maintain your health so you can keep on keeping on. We depend on you to continue to provide us with your knowledge, wit, brilliance and whatever else I forgot to mention.

Tina & Ron from DE

Dear Mark, I just finished reading your book, with my two dogs next to me. Casey and GeGe a 6 year old and one year old (both Shih Tzu’s) are the best friends I have ever had. I love them so much and three years ago I had to make the decision you did with your Spritey, I had to put to rest my 14 year old Shih Tzu . It was harder to do that than to get divorced. All dogs ever ask is to be fed, loved, walked and played with. As I cried while reading your book, my two girls sat with their heads on my lap and knew I was upset. They sleep with me every night and wake me with sloppy kisses every morning. Dogs are also “Woman’s best friend.” Thank you for sharing your family, your pets and your story with the world. The world would be a better place if everyone had a pet to love and share life with. Thank you,

Gwen from IL

I just wanted to tell you that I am in the middle of reading your book about your wonderful dogs. My husband bought me the book because it looked like the book Marley and Me. I started crying just looking at the cover I have had several wonderful dogs in my life and cherish every moment with them. I hope others enjoy this book as much as I have and that it makes you appreciate all the time that you have with them. my dogs are a doberman mix named coco and a dachshund/chihuahau named goldie she is totally the boss.

Veronica from OH

I received Rescuing Sprite for Christmas. I have put off reading it, because I know I’m in for a rough ride. Being a sucker for a sad story, especially involving pets, I knew I had to read it. I am reading it slowly, savoring the good times. About half way through and I can’t help but feel the magnitude of what’s coming. It brings back Trixie, Lucky, and Miles. The “Mutt”, the rescued Shepherd, and the Yorkie respectively. We have all been thrown a curve ball in life with the discrepancies in life spans. We can’t go through life with the joys without the sorrows. I feel bad when someone who has just lost their best friend swears off on owning another pet, though I understand. They usually come around after a while. We just can’t do without that unconditional love they so seflessly give. I know we are all better human beings from the lessons our pals have given us, all without them “saying” a word. Live, Love, and yes unfortunately anguish,but focus on the in between times. Thank you Mark for sharing Sprite and Pepsi with us and for revealing the softer side I knew you had, in spite of your big magnificent voice.
Sincerely,
Ray from NY

I purchased your book, Rescuing Sprite, shortly after Christmas. I had a gift card to Barnes & Noble so I was able to get one of your autographed copies. I bought it as a “reference” because we had just celebrated Little Bear’s 14th year with us on December 14. In the past two years, he had lost most of his hearing, and his back legs were showing signs of arthritis.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, we had determined that Little Bear would have to stay on the lowest level of our townhouse. We were afraid that he would attempt to continue going up the stairs and fall and hurt himself. Little Bear was a Giant German Spitz. In the 14 years we had him, we found very little information regarding this breed. The one article we did secure indicated that they were companion/work dogs. Little Bear LOVED people! He came to us in 1993 when my husband was a Park Ranger on the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC. We figured that he must have gotten away from his owners while they were sightseeing, although he had no identifying tags on when he was found. We soon learned that he did not like other animals, not even other dogs. Little Bear was not a “barker,” but when he saw a wild turkey or an opossum, he would bark. Most of the time, his only indication of making a sound was a whimper. He was the perfect dog for us because both my daughter, Sarah, and I do not like “yappy” or barking dogs. He was also perfect for living in apartments because no one was ever aware that he was around.

After my divorce eight years ago, we were able to bring Little Bear indoors. He had lived in a fenced-in pen for six years. We learned that he was, indeed, house-broken and had even been trained to offer his paw. When we went out of town, we had numerous friends and neighbors take care of Little Bear. We always received glowing comments of how well behaved he was in our absence, although he tended to eat less because he missed us. When we could, we took Little Bear with us if the hotels were pet friendly. My niece in NYS had a large basement where Little Bear would stay when we visited them. Eventually, that had to stop because her little boy had allergies. Thankfully, last summer, we were able to take Little Bear with us when we visited Upstate NY and, also, when we attended a wedding in Ohio. He was a great traveler and seemed to genuinely enjoy the sights. Walking him at rest stops was another story since we had to dodge the other dog walkers with their pets. (more…)

We lost our German Shepherd in February to a cancerous heart tumor-yesterday would have been his seventh birthday – We have his full brother Carter and that made it an even sadder day.. I cannot believe the loss I felt and still feel. I actually felt guilty because I didn’t feel as terrible losing some of our human friends until I read Losing Sprite- thank you so much for this book. The day before Connor died we were out with our horses and our mare saw something out in one of our pastures- we looked and could see that it was an animal just lying in the snow, thinking it was just stuck my husband waded out to where it was and could see that it was a young dog and that she was not stuck in the snow but didn’t seem to want to move. He brought her in on a sled and when we got her in where it was warm and dry we could tell that she was injured and couldn’t walk but could scoot. We examined her and could see that her front leg was broken. We made her comfortable for the night. Connor looked at her and sniffed her and then went and settled down for the night. I had prayed that I wouldn’t have to make the decision to end Connor’s suffering and the time would come when I would know. the next morning Connor came to me and licked both sides of my face and then went and laid down. I knew that things weren’t quite the same as they had been but he did choose to go outside with my husband to do chores and then the next thing I knew Connor had lain down in the snow- we got him a blanket and he went to that and laid down and was gone. the next day was a trip to town to have Connor cremated and to take this pup to our vet. I had named her Annie as in Little Orphan Annie.
We waited all day for all the tests and X-rays – Annie not only had a broken front leg but a fractured pelvis and rib injuries – and a strong will to live- her injuries weren’t new injuries but had already begun healing- which meant that she had been left to die in an empty snowy, freezing environment. We left her with our vet to keep her quiet made plans for her surgeries. Annie’s front leg is presently held together by rods and the inside that screw to rods on the outside. Eventually the outside ones will be removed and she’ll have the ones attched on the inside. We have four more weeks of healing and each day brings more joy and challenges because she doesn’t like her Elizabethen collar and has figured out how to remove it so we take a lot of trips to town to replace bandages. Her ribs and pelvis have healed on their own once she could support her front leg. She’s our Angel Annie and everything seems to have happened for a reason.
My husband underwent an emergency surgery and had a stent put in for a major coronary blockage during this same time- he had no symtoms just extra special doctors! so our life has beehn blessed by Annie and Connor and Carter and all of their friends.

Joyce from WA