I just finished reading your book Rescuing Sprite. I just want to tell you that I know how you feel. I had to put our dog Misty to sleep several years ago she was 16 yrs old and we got her when she was two, she meant the world to me. That is the hardest decision to make. It was about a month afterwards that I was sitting folding clothes and her portrait I had taken was still on the livingroom wall and I just started crying and told my husband that I could not go without a dog in our house to love and take care of. This was a sunday afternoon so I got in my car and went to the local humane society and ended up coming home with another german shepherd/collie mix that looked just like my Misty but her name is Gracie and ever since then we have went back and got her a friend named Prince and he is border collie/doberman. They play and wrestle alot but I could not imagine life without them, I spoil them rotten and they are worth every bit of spoiling that they get. I dread the day when they are gone which I hope won’t be for a long time since Gracie is only four and Prince is three. One day I will try to get my husband to help me send a picture of them to you to see since I don’t know how to do that on the computer, but they are beautiful dogs and I love them with all my heart.

Lisa from PA

My name is Skyler and I was given a copy of Rescuing Sprite by one of my father’s coworkers because of my dogs passing in November. Your story had touched my heart so deeply and I think finally helped me make piece with loosing my dog.
I had my dog for almost 13 years. He was a blonde golden retriever named Shadow and he was truly my dog. I remember being in kindergarten when my dad took me to see the movie “Homeward Bound the Incredible Journey.” I fell in love with the main dog, which was a golden retriever named Shadow. After the movie was over I remember asking my dad if I could get a dog like Shadow. Not really wanting a dog, my dad said “If you can save up your money to pay for one then you can.” For most little kids, they would find this dream unreachable, especially after finding out that $200 was ball park for a golden retriever, not me. I saved every penny I made: birthday money, Christmas money, allowance, I even tried selling my artwork for pocket change. I was determined to get my dog. A year and a half later, I had my golden retriever puppy, my Shadow.
Shadow couldn’t have been a better dog to our family. He was loyal and friendly to everyone. Anyone that came to the door that was greeted by Shadow became his instant friend. I was so proud to have him and to tell others he was my dog. He was truly part of the family. I think that’s why I took his death so hard. It was unexpected and couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
The last few years of Shadow’s life, he had all the ordinary symptoms of an old dog. He got cataracts in his eyes, but he wasn’t completely blind, he slept and lounged around a lot, and he slowed down and it became clear that his joints and muscles were sometimes achy. None of this stopped him from being sweet and very young at heart. He stilled loved being pet on his stomachs and being brushed. He still managed to perform all his tricks for a treat and I think he loved kisses in his face and head the older he got. He showed no signs that anything serious was wrong. (more…)

My story is very simple.We did not have any children but, we had TITAN. Titan was a gran dane doberman mix. Big dog.He was our baby he had his own room and everything. He died several years ago but up this moments that I am writing this lines I still cry every time we remember him. After his death we removed all of his pictures because just looking at them brought tears to my eyes. To the point and, this will sound incomprehensable to many I fall into a state of depresion. We are not replacing him because another lost of a pet that is your life might be not to healthy for me. Thanks a lot for bringing stories like this to light so people are aware that pets need to be love and taking care of no matter what.Well thats all I had can’t keep going tears are fogging my eyes.
Jose from WI

Rusty was a giant of a Golden Retriever. 33 lbs. at 3 months we brought him home.
We lost him, just shy of his 13th birthday to bone cancer. What happened that day, I will never forget.
I had been reading about the “rainbow bridge”. A poem to help the pain of losing your pet. It talks about how some day you and your pet will be reunited at this “rainbow bridge.” I had the vet come to the house. Rusty was outside, on his blanket. Being so large, and that he couldn’t walk, there was no way that I was going to have him go through a painful experience in the car. As the vets were putting him down, I kept praying, “please let him go to the rainbow bridge”, and then he was gone.
Later that day, I was sitting on the back patio, feeling sorry for myself. All of a sudden, a feather floated from the sky and landed on my bare foot. Of course, I looked up to see where the feather had come from. It was a beautiful day to go to heaven. Just a few high wispy clouds in the sky. Like a plane had flown over hours ago. But, up in one of those wispy clouds was a rainbow. He had made it.

Amy from TX

Dog story with legal question…
My aunt Dorithy is in her 70’s, very active with no significant medical issues. Her dog Lexie was put down about a year ago from cancer. Lexie a golden retreiver was a rescue dog. My aunt Dorithy and uncle Roy, who died from prostate cancer a few years back, loved this dog very much. Lexie was probably abused and was skittish, but would come around after she got comfortable with you. She was as gentle as a feather. My aunt still has her cat Violet who she loves and is great company. But she had decided to rescue another golden retreiver. She had been crusing the shelters and finally found one she fell in love with. She decided to adopt her. The people at the shelter are very fussy who can adopt a dog or cat for that matter. They sent someone to her house to inspect the premisis to see if it was condusive to the well being of the dog. All was found ok. Good house nice yard etc. My aunt is quite spry for her age and you would think she was in her 50’s. She drives herself everywhere and does some traveling and has enough money for vet bills, as this was a requirement. After a while when all seemed to be going well anothe person came to her house and told her application was denied as she was too old to adopt the dog. She was crushed and is now looking to other shelters. This is a great woman who lost her husband and her dog and was trying to do the right thing by rescuing an other dog and was turned down, just because of her age. I guess my question to you Mark if you read this. Is this age descrimination? Can anything be done about this? By the way my wife and I listen to your show all the time and love it and you. Keep up the great work. I would flip a coin between you and Rush and put Hannity in at 3rd, although not by much. Thanks for reading.

Pete from NJ

Mark, First permit me to thank you for being the “clean-up hitter” I have a 10 year old beagle fiest named Ginger. I adopted her from the local humane society when she was approximately 8 months old. She is the only family I have within 500 miles. I serve as the athletic trainer (sports-medicine) person for the local middle and high schools. For eight years Ginger was as much of part of the school as anyone. She would be on the sidelines for all football games home and away. She has that effect on people. Two and a half years ago our local board of education hired a 30 year principal to lead this school of nearly 1,600 students. She is not of our community, and I’m not even sure she is human. After more than eight years, she in cahoots with a new superintendent banned my girl from the sidelines. Then from the practoce fields, now from riding with me from field to field on our John Deere Gator. The thing she enjoys the most aside from being around our student-athletes. Recently they went against this entire community by saying they would fire me on the spot if they saw her anywhere outside of my office. They said they didn’t care if everyone in this county showed-up at the board of education on mine and Ginger’s behalf it would make no difference. That is what my nearly 20 yrs of service is worth to them to go ahead. I can have another job as soon as I want one. Ginger can come too. Not to make a political statement on this sacred site, but this once wonderful school system has become a Marxist state in less than three yrs.I can’t think of any other term to describe people living on the taxpayers buck, while being completely unresponsive to the desires of a long time employee, and sevearl thousand tax payers. It is my hope these people will be elsewhere soon. If not. Ginger and I will be. Thank you! Dave Mahan & Ginger.

Dave from NC