Mr. Levin —

I have to tell you what a comfort my wife and I found your book, “Rescuing Sprite.” So much in your book mirrored our own experience, Fifteen years ago, we rescued our beloved Border Collie, Scout, from the Arlington, VA, animal shelter. Even though I was the dog fanatic, Scout became my wife’s faithful companion — staying by her side through my extended work-related travel, through her bout with a serious illness, and through my four years in evening law school. They became inseparable, and he touched both our hearts in many ways. He accepted the subsequent arrival of our kids warmly and in many ways became the center of our family activities. In spite of all of this, I was surprised at how deeply it affected us — me in particular — when he came down with inoperable cancer. He fought it bravely for four months before it became clear the pain medication wasn’t doing enough and we had him put down. My wife and I held him and tried to soothe him as the veterinarian put him to sleep, and I haven’t been as upset by anything in years. It’s a little embarassing how attached you can get to an animal, but there it is. We buried Scout’s ashes beneath the dogwood tree in our front yard, and I speak to him often. Thanks for writing the book, and thanks for your cogent and wise political commentary as well.

Keep up the great work — you’re making a difference!

Doug from VA

I just finished your book about your Spritey. I had to make the decision to put Duke Down last June. He was “my” dog and my husband would not make the call for me. We had Duke 16 years. I retired from 34 years of teaching in June ’06 and thank that decision as I had one special year with my best guy. I didn’t see or probably didn’t want to see that Duke was going down hill. We were told that there was probably some kind of cancer in him (he went from a stron 60 lb dog to a frail 32 Lb. animal). As with all of the people you have heard from, Duke was there for me and looked for me when I wasn’t there. My friend said that I was so unaware of the fact that he was doing less and less and I was doing more and more for him. He was still eating but got to a point where he was having troulbe standing – falling over when he was doing his business. We were visiting my son’s home and he just looked so frail and weak and uncomfortable that I decided that weekend to put him to rest. That was Saturday. We didn’t stay at my son’s overnight as I wanted Dukey to be in his own home for the time he had left. When we got home he rallied and seemed his old self but I knew that I was fooling myself. I made the decision and going back would mean I would be faced with the same one in the not too distant future. On Sunday my husband was sitting on our deck and I had gone out. As I pulled into the garage, Duke watched me and leaned over. As I got out of the car, I heard my husband yell “oh my god he fell”. Apparently since Duck had lost so much muscle and weight he was thin enough to fit between the rails. Leaning over loooking for me he just fell from the upper deck about 10 feet to the ground below. My husband ran down and brought Duke up carrying him in his arms. Duke looked stunned but did not appear to have broken anything. I took that as a sign that I had made the right decision to put him to rest. We took him on the following Tuesday and to this day and I can see his eyes as he got the tranquilizer and staired into my eyes. I loved him enough to let him go and I think that that was the hardest thing I ever had to do or will ever have to do in my life. I loved that dog and still do. There is not a day that goes by since June 26, 2007 that I do not think about my Dukey

Pat from NJ

Your book brought back some memories, some I admit made me cry my eyes out
I too had a dog, whom I loved as my third son.
Our familly adopted Pee Wee as a puppy, we bought him in a puppy store and from the moment we brought him home knew our llives would never be the same. We too were moving (from Long Island, to Connecticut) so this was a blessing
Pee Wee lived with us for 15 years but as his final year approached he developed seizures and did the pacing like your Sprite.
We tried desperately to save him but our vet knew he was too old to put him through all the procedures.
We kept him comfortable and I did my best to give him anything he could want. We made many trips to MacDonald’s , he loved happy meals, and being the mom I couldn’t deny him .
He brought to us the most wonderful 15years, but like we all know they are too short , we don’t know what we have until we’ve lost it
I with the advise of my vet did decide after 3 weeks to open my heart and we now have Sunshine, whose name is fitting. After having to put Pee Wee to sleep I believed the sun would never shine in our lives again
I believe Pee Wee brought her straight into our lives because she’s never taken his olace but like having children( more than one, )you open your heart to love and be loved unconditionally
I so much feel the love you expressed for your canine children and I wanted you to know that it’s the nicest people in the world who have loved and their pets as you do
I’m a pet sitter so I hear horror stories and my heart breaks every time I have to find those sad stories.
Too read your book was like meeting an old friend, thank you for opening your story to all of us who know too well, who have all had our lives enriched by our beautiful canine kids
God Bless You, and I hope you get your just rewards when you finally get to see your Spritey at the Rainbow Bridge
Ellen from FL

Just read your book “Rescuing Sprite”..I am a kindred spirit..we lost our daughter..(18) in a car accident..and 2 years later our yorkie..”raisin” to cancer..after 6 weeks in clinic..3 surgury’s.I am now on my 3 yorkie..Zippy” 13 years old..with heart condition..I know that she is in the last chapter of her life..and it willo be so painful when she has to leave us..but I will always have a dog..because as you said “in the end we humans are the lucky ones” Thank you for putting in writing..what we dog lovers all feel about our beloved dogs.

Janet from MI

I have two rescue lab/shepherd mixes. One is a therapy dog because of his gentle temperament. I have also a rott/akita mix who was thrown out. He had a chip and when I called the lady who owned him, she said she had moved and didn’t want him any more!!….He has such a gentle spirit and gets along with what ever dog visits us. I wish I could take in more dogs, but I am retired and 3 are all I can handle, but I feel so very blessed with my rescues. Bobbie and Raider are 11 1/2 and Jack , the rott, is almost 3. I just finished reading the Sprite story and part of the reason I took Jack and didn’t find him another home was that I just couldn’t bear the thought of being alone if something happened to Bobbie and Raider. I am grieving the loss of my Schatze cat due to squamous cell carcinoma and it was very hard for me to finish the last few pages of this book about Sprite, but in my case also, I had to put him to sleep, he wasn’t ready but the cancer had made him unable to open his mouth to eat and keeping him alive when he would have starved to death was not an option.
I am still grieving him .
Animals touch our lives in a way other humans just cannot. Thanks so much for the blessing of Sprite . It touched my heart.

C. Kay from CA

Thank you so much for allowing me to read Sprite’s story. I started reading and could not stop. I don;t think that I have ever cried so much while reading a book. I too have lost two of my dogs. I foster with NBRAN, which is a brittany rescue group. My first adoption was my Millie. I have never had a realtionship with anyone like I did her. She had mammory gland cancer from not being spayed until late in life. I only had her three years. I will always regret not having her long enough. I have a special place in my heart for seniors. I have a 13 year old brittany that I was fostering and ended up adopting her. She is my little shadow. It always seems that the seniors love us a appreciate us the most. She sleeps on a pillow next to me ever night. I cherish every moment with her. Again thanks so much for sharing Sprite’s story. I am sure that my Millie and my Saabo are with your Sprite at the rainbow bridge playing and watching for us because one day we will meet them again. My thoughts are with you and your family.

Melissa from KY