I just finished your book and enjoyed it so much. I lost a lab two years ago at the age of 11. My gardener left the gate open, he ran out and was hit by a car. I blamed myself for not checking the gate, it was horrible. We loved our beloved Seine so much and my husband and I were so distraught. We also at the time had a golden retriever who chose not to run out and thank God she is alive and well at the age of 8 today. I don’t want to even think of lossing her. I will really need professional help.
I felt your pain and understood how you felt.
Dogs are such special members of the family better than some blood relatives.

Carol from NJ

I just finished your loving tribute to your wonderul Sprite. Tears flowed down my cheeks as my own loss came rushing back to me afresh. My beautiful Golden retriever “Troi” (pronouced Troy) died 2 years ago, and there’s still such a hole in my heart. We use to say she was just a big old bag of love. Always smiling, so happy to see us and such a blessing to our lives. Even though I still miss her terribly I am a better person for the paw prints left on my heart.

Terri from MO

I live with my wife and step-daughter in TJ because it’s cheaper than San Diego. We are all animal lovers and, in addition to Rufo, we have a Chihuahua named Dolly and two turtles, Lucas and Matteo.

Rufo came into our lives quite by accident, sort of like that proverbial mid-marriage surprise pregnancy. One day last July, my wife said that there was a very young puppy that was abandoned in the green belt around our condo and the children were bothering him, not intentionally, but in the mildly overprotective manner that some children have. She asked what we should do, knowing my answer would be, “bring him up and let’s get him cleaned up and see how he is.”

When they brought him up, I saw this tiny scrawny puppy that didn’t look like he’d survive the night. I went to the store and bought some powdered baby formula and a baby bottle to force feed him, if necessary while Claudia gave him a flea bath (he was crawling with them). It turned out that he was strong enough to drink the formula straight from a bowl and in a couple of days, he was taking in solid food. However, he still looked like those photos that one sees of starvin cattle in the 30’s Dust Bowl with ribs sticking out and shriveled skinny hind legs.

As he grew a little, we figured that he was some sort of boxer mix because he was a little big and had a velvety black floppy muzzle. He also has a great heart, having survived a bout with a near-fatal parvo virus before we got him vaccinated. Today, he weighs about fifty pounds and like said has a lot of heart. He loves to run and leaps and bounds like a deer and loves to jump on me. He refuses to give up when we play tug of war with his favorite blanket. Claudia says he cries when I leave the house and leaps on the back of the couch to stare out the window waiting for me to return.

We’re looking for a bigger place just for him because the condo is too small and Claudia believes he needs to be outside. However, she would bet a dollar to a doughnut, or however the Mexicans say it, that he will still sleep with me even after we move.

By the way, my son is in Iraq right now and will return this July.

Dan from Baja CA

My wife, Karen, first met Moe at the Parma Animal Shelter. He was an older cat, estimated his age to be eight. He was a big 12-pound, furry, white cat with black spots that reminded me of a cow. He was the only cat with those markings that she ever saw who had a black spot going up his nose. She felt sorry for him being in that tiny cage and he looked sad. She would go visit him on a weekly basis, just to see if he was adopted yet, but week after week, he was still there. He had been neutered and his front paws were declawed. He seemed like the perfect cat for us, but never having had one, she was hesitant.

Karen would also visit the cats at PetSmart. They were always so cute. At that time, we didn’t have any pets and neither of us ever owned a cat. The day Karen saw Moe at PetSmart with the Parma Animal Shelter people, she came home and asked me if we could get him. I said sure, if you want. So Karen hurried back and bought $70 worth of cat things and brought Moe home with me in June of 2000.

We weren’t crazy about his name, but did not want to confuse him so we just kept his name the same. We loved him so much. The first thing we did was set him up in our den upstairs because it was one of our smaller rooms so he could adjust gradually. He was pretty curious and after walking around the room a bit, he checked out the long walk-in closet. We were so excited about getting him that Karen called our friend, Debbie, to come over to meet him and she did. (more…)

Best Friends magazine reviewed Rescuing Sprite so I had to read it. Even though I cried through most of it, it was very enjoyable. My dog, Rosie, is almost 10 and her hind legs are starting to weaken. I know I’ll be going through what Mark Levin and his family endured some day too soon.

Polly from OH

On Jan 14th, 2008 I had to put my dogs to sleep. Their names were Bo and Nurmi. I miss them terribly and there’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think of them and wish they were with me. They were my best friends for almost thirteen years. I’m grateful to God for puting them in my life and for the happiness and joy they gave me.

Bo and Nurmi, I miss you both and will love you always. You were my babies and will always be. I hope to see you again someday and until then, know that I love you both more than I can describe.

Your Buddy,
Spence from CA

A picture of Bo and I on the day she was put to sleep.

Here’s another photo of Bo and I. I loved both of my dogs equally but Bo and I had a special bond. She never left my side. Nurmi, he was pretty independent and didn’t want to be bothered much. When he wanted attention, he’d come and get it. I miss them both so much, Mr. Levin. Thank you for your dog site.

Bo and Nurmi. Even though I photoshopped the dogs and my face into the photo, it’s one of my favorite of them. They were both puppies. I had always intended on making that picture a photo Christmas card but never did.