Mark, it has taken me until March of 2008 to write about my best friend. Forrest Langford- born an unnamed Black Lab puppy on September 21, 1993, came into my life under circumstances felt by many True Dog Lovers. I was a student at Auburn University in my first Junior year and had decided that I needed to have a dog. I had a loving an loyal best friend that I had left at home with my parents when I took off to school. His name was General – a mix ( as best we can guess ) of a Lab and a Basset Hound. There was never a more loyal and loving addition to our family than General. However, being away at college, I only got to see him on the occasional weekend and trip home for holidays. To tell the story of General is not the purpose of this note- I can leave that up to my father to tell. But because I rarely saw him, I decided I had to have my own at school. And much like any other college student at a southern university, I had to have a black lab. I found a new litter in Montgomery, AL in the summer of 1993, and from that litter I picked out the runt of the group and named him Blue. I know funny to name a Black Lab, Blue- that’s an even longer story. To save time and tears, Blue passed away on or about November 10 of 1993. The best we were able to guess was from poisoning. I came home one night from a party and found him dead in my room. The pain, the guilt, the anger was too much for me. I’m not sure, but I think I punched a hole in the wall. A week later- my parents showed up at my apartment with a new Black Lab puppy. At first, I was angry with them, because I didn’t think it was right. It was too early. I was not ready. But this beautiful puppy, with a hilarious drooling problem, quickly stole my heart and my soul. I think because of the circumstances that he came into my life, that I became very cautious and protective of him… and sometimes unwilling to even let him out of my sight. I guess it was the same way 14 years later. I named my new friend Forrest. Not in honor of the movie character, but in honor of the Confederate General. For 14 years Forrest and I were truly inseparable…except for a time when I lived in an apartment that wouldn’t allow pets- so he stayed with my parents for an extended period. This was a blessing in disguise for my parents who were suffering through a painful end to General’s life. Forrest began to have seizures at the age of 5. Frightening, horrible, painful seizures that apparently came and went with no explainable cause. For years we worked through 3 different vets and finally found a cocktail of medicines that would hem back the seizures. (more…)

One Saturday morning, a lady bought a skinny little Dachshund to our door, and asked if she belonged to us. She’d apparently been left on a busy street, and nearly got hit. I told her that my dogs were all in the back yard. She said that she’d take her to the next three houses, and if nobody claimed her, she’d take her to a nearby vet, and who knows what would’ve happened. I caught up to her before she reached the next door, and told her we’d take her. This poor little girl had bowed legs and was skin and bones. We took her to the vet and she had to have several bad teeth pulled, but she blessed us with two more years of her sweet presence. She passed on one night in our bed. I still cry when I think of our precious little girl, and now, we’ve rescued, and adopted seven more.
That’s why I sent Mark the blanket when I heard the story about his precious Sprite. I know how it hurts to lose a “family” member. Especially the four legged ones.
Thank you for Rescuing Sprite.
Janet from TX

Mark,
I received your book as a gift from my son & new daughter in-law this past
Christmas. I finally had a chance, while on vacation, to read it. It was very
touching and heart warming and it brought back many memories of my dogs..
In my 26 years of marriage we have had two dogs one an Irish Setter, Cigi, who
after a long life of 14 ½ years we had to put down after many months of praying
that she would just some day not wake up. It tore me apart and swore I would not get another dog. I was right we did not and then a little more than a year later a stray Gordon Setter showed up in the middle of our cold MN winter outside hunting birds in our shrubs out front and running through our neighborhood. I often took strays in because
we lived so close to a highway I worried they may wonder to close and get hit. I took him in and called the local authorities to report the dog as being found & left my name and number along with calling local stores incase anyone was looking for him. It took almost a full week before hearing from (Micks) the dogs family but they showed up, the woman was not thrilled when picking him up she was pregnant and had a little one in her
hand and said Mick was her husbands dog and said that the dog was way too much
work. I then mentioned that if they were interested in giving him up we (my son, daughter, and husband) would be interested in taking him. Of course a week later
they were on our door step. He was ours. It took weeks of training, love, anti-anxiety
medication and lots patience but he became a very big part of our family. We were
the third owners of Mick in his year and a half. No one ever took the time to really
give him the attention he needed. We only had him another seven and a half years
when he suddenly was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Three years ago he died of
what seems to be heart failure at the young age of 8 ½ yrs. I too feel very responsible,
my father was dying from lung cancer at the time and we had just placed him in a
Hospice Home, I felt I was so busy with caring for my father I was ignoring Mick. (more…)

Hi Mark,

I listen to your show and love your zeal for our country, but today, I have a totally different topic: We had to put our dear cockapoo (Harley) to sleep Monday. We’re as you can imagine, broken hearted. We adopted Harley 5 yrs. ago. The group listed him as 2-1/2 yrs. old, however, our vet guessed that we was closer to 10. He was fine for a couple of years, but then he developed heart disease, lost his vision, and was suffering. It was such a difficult decision, but he just wasn’t going to get better, God bless the folks at Americas Animal Clinic. I think this was as rough on them as for us. We’re still expecting him to come walking around the corner to see what we’re up to. It sure hurts. I know you have had the same experience, and alot of others as well. There is nothing like man’s best friend. The unconditional love and patience. We wished we couldv’e had more time with Harley, but we find some solace in knowing that we have him a wonderful life and alot of love those years he blessed us with his presence.

Thanks for letting me share this .

Linda from TX

Dear Mr Levine,

I recently read your book and was touched very deeply by the stories of your dogs Sprite and Pepsi. I am a fellow dog lover and what I found out very quickly in my adult life is that people who do not share love and passion for animals (particularly dogs) do not understand… you can talk and talk but unless they have experienced the love of a dog they don’t get it. I compare it to a first time mother experiencing raising a baby for the first time. She fiends for other new mothers to relate to… and the book you wrote is reaching out to people like me, who love their dog as if they were part of the family, irreplaceable.

My fiance Keir and I adopted an 8 week old husky 2 years ago. We have had Wilson for the same amount of time you had Sprite. 2 years in words does not seem like a long time but I understand when you talk about the bond you had with sprite because I share that bond with my dog. Wilson is his two years of life has managed to make Keir and I a family. When Keir first decided to get Wilson, him and I were unsure of where our future was going. Wilson grounded us, he made us a family, Wilson was our missing link. I say this now with certainty because as I write this I stare down at the diamond ring on my finger, a commitment I am not sure Keir was capable of before Wilson. I am not even sure I can explain to you what happened to Keir when Wilson came along but it changed him… it changed us…. it changed everything…

Your writing about Sprite reminded me so much of our Wilson particularly when you described Sprite turning towards the breeze on a windy day, taking in every smell and scent that reaches his nose, simply taking in life. Wilson is so much the same. Keir and I find ourselves smiling just looking at Wilson as he falls asleep sitting up or is trotting around our yard smiling – he is our pride and joy. I don’t share this with a lot of people because most people can not begin to understand, but you get it. I have come to realize that if we all take some time to live our lives with the philosophies our pets do, we would grow old very happy people just enjoying the simple things, like fresh green grass, sunny days and chirping birds.

I smiled through the first half of your book and sobbed through the second half. I find myself kissing my dog more everyday (if that is possible) and appreciating every moment of him even more. I can only hope Wilson will die many years from now from old age but I do find myself sometimes thinking about what would happen if he should suffer from an untimely death and it literally takes away my breath. I guess only time will tell but I imagine I will revisit your book often as Wilson grows and will find comfort in your words when Wilson’s final days do come.

Thank you for taking the time to honor the importance of pets to their owners and thank you for giving back to our community by taking in dog’s like Sprite… There is a lot to be said for people who rescue dog’s from shelters.

Best wishes to your family and god bless Sprite

Adrienne from MA

I don’t know if this is the kind of story you’re looking for. I started and completed your book today, during jury duty. Of course I had to put the book away when I entered the court room, but I picked it back up and finished it on the drive home. (I only read at stop lights!) My husband John does a radio talk show on WBT weeknights from 6 to 9pm. The similarities between the two of you (as dog lovers) are uncanny. As some say, you’re like two peas in a pod. We have two dogs, both Westies, who we consider our children. We’ve had Nutmeg and Clapton since they were puppies; they’re now 7 and 5 years old. Right now (as I’m keying), Nutmeg is lying at my feet and Clapton’s passed out asleep, flat on his back and belly up, on the bed next to me. I cook for them every night, a vet- approved meal we refer to as “the chicken dinner”. As things are around here, John and I exist to serve these dogs. After all, we live in their world. It’s not the other way around. OK, after all this, I really wrote to thank you for providing some insight on the end-of-life issues. We used to have cats and did all the same things you did when their time came, with the vet who came to the house and cremation. I even custom-ordered small memorial markers which now sit at the base of a Japanese Maple tree in our front yard. Thanks again for sharing your story!

Susan from NC