Mr. Levin, I just finished reading Rescuing Sprite. I could barely get through the pages with out tears. Very painful memories resurfaced fro me . Gut wrenching guilt once again, because like you I had to make that final call. Our bingo who i considered to be my 3rd child, different species of course, but as equally loved, pampered and cared for as my human children. had colin cancer. he was now 11 years old going thru surgery, with out high expectations of survival. they removed one tumor and could not remove others deeper inside his body. Bingo was determined to come home ,the vet told us we should nt expect much more from him, if he lived another month that would be a blessing. Well, with much love, bingo survived another year and 1/2 to the surprise of everyone. he suffered with severe anemia and very painful arthritis. too old and weak to go thru a blood transfusion. In October of 2005 was his turning point. he became so ill, he could no longer walk he laid on my lap rapped in my sweatshirt, near the oven as i sobbed in sorrow knowing what i had to do. my oldest son, like your son begged me for one more day. This would be my children’s first loss. he was suffering too much, i knew that, but i didnt want to let him go.

On October 17, 2005 I had no choice. It had to be. I couldnt watch him like this anymore. We went to the vet, in tears, holding him so tight telling him we were sorry and how much he truly meant to us and how much we love him.until the last shot took affect ! Our boy was gone ! The emptiness in our house was beyond comprehension. we were lonely even though the three of us were together. after his cremation, and finding the perfect urn for him, my depression seemed to be getting out of control. i needed to have another dog in our house. My kids weren’t happy with this, they did understand that i was’nt trying to replace Bingo, I just needed to fill a void, for all of us. I found a sheltie collie mix from a breeder in Iowa. Same breed just a different look. His name from the breeder was… Sprite. ! A beautiful 7 week old puppy. He was flown to L.G.A airport in November of 2005. Once again our hearts welcomed a new baby into our family. Joey is his name now, our 2 year old, son/brother. who is so spoiled, and loved. by all of us. he has become attached to my younger son, as if they have known each other forever. he even follows him to the bathroom.
Your Sprite will live on in your hearts forever… Just like our Bingo will live on in ours. They will forever be loved ………..
Kathy from NY

Mark: I lost my husband of 57 years a month ago and the pain is so great that I don’t know how to live each day. My husband was ill for two years and I was his caregiver. He had a good humor and wit just like you until the end We have a Sheltie and her name is Mufy. She would sit at my husbands feet almost all the time. She would get in between him and the home care nurses and refuse to move. She is now as depressed as I am. I take her with me everywhere as we did with my husband. She brings all of her toys to me in the morning for me to play with her. I listen to your program everyday and my heart goes out to the parents of our dear boys who will never have the chance of a long life. I can’t imagine the grief that they feel losing a child. Thanks for being there. I read your book when it first came out and intend to pass it on to other dog lovers. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Sue from MO

When I met my wife, it was because we both had a common need – “must love dogs!” I had no idea that our common compassion for the most faithful companions God gave us would also give us each other – and a common avocation – taking care of those who at first pass, were left behind. We are currently being cared for by 8 wonderful dogs from ed (7 pounds of fluff) to Lucy (120 pounds of couch potato). It is with honor to my wife with her untiring devotion to and care for our family – and to those of our our animals who passed in peace from old age that othrewise might not have that I post these pictures of the current pack.

Bill from NY

I have to say that my name isn’t important, but most people call me Sam. The names that are important, to me, were and are Bandit, Scarlett, Rascal, Habi, Ash, Rowan, Eureka, Yeowler, and Natasha aka. Weed. These names have brought more than light to my life, they have made my life. Bandit and Scarlett were my brother and sister; they were my best friends and they were my children. These two were the first dogs that I actually thought of as having part ownership in. They were Dalmatian-Labrador mixes and they came to my family from our next door neighbor. We got them when they were eight weeks old and had them till the day they died; Scarlett at thirteen years and Bandit at fifteen years. When Scarlett died, it hurt enough, but she was my father’s dog; the stereotypical Southern Man’s Hound-Dog. Bandit was my dog. He was since the day he came home. He slept with me, was the first one to see me when I woke up and was the first one to see me when I got home from school. When he passed, I thought a part of me had died with him. The more I thought about it the more I realized that a part of me did go with him. No matter what other animal I would have after he was gone, there would never be another Bandit. The day he passed, I was a school. I went to my teacher and told him I wasn’t going to be in class because I just found out my brother I died. A part of me told the lie because I knew this particular teacher wouldn’t have understood if I told him my dog died. But the best part of me, the part of me that wishes I could run in the forest free with my dogs, knew that when the words passed my lips it wasn’t a lie. I was telling the truth. My “brother” had died. My pack-mate had gone. After, I had a blue, bone-shaped dog tag made at Petsmart and it reads, “Bandit & Scarlett/ You will always be loved/ and you will be missed / Run wild, Run free.” I couldn’t think of a better way to put it then I did that day. Even now I have trouble finding a way to express what happened during that time. Thank you Mark for so eloquently putting into print the love a person has for a dog and the loyalty that both share.

Samantha from AR

I bough 2 books before Christmas, 1 for me and 1 for a gift. Sprite looks like our Murphy who died in 2005. His story parrellesl our Patsy, who died February, 2008.
LEARN, her rescue adoption agency posted a nice tribute to her. Link as follows: http://www.labadoption.org/linkpages/Tribute/Patsy.htm

It has been a month since she died and we are on the LEARN list for another rescue dog.. As you indicated in your book, these caring people do wonderful work.

Chuck from WI

Hello fellow animal lovers. As most of us here likely understand, these devine loving creatures we call pets, and even so called wild animals, add undeniable beauty to our world.

I’ve lost a number of pets throughout my 45 years here on earth… since the last loss, I’ve firmly depressed my pause button when it comes to my potential next committed adoption.

I would like to share something very real and miraculously wondrous with you all here. I have been quite involved with first hand experimental research pertaining to what is present within the complex sound frequencies of many animal’s voices…. I use many technical approaches, and computer editing software, along with my inherent sensitivities.

I have found that certain exceptional animals do indeed learn to speak in human language.. and I am NOT limiting this to the basic mimicking of ” I love you ” or some other such basic phrase the animal’s person has coached the animal to repeat.

I am saying that animals… many dogs, are able to produce short embedded phrases within their vocal sound frequencies, which very strongly suggest that they are projecting their thoughts and feelings verbally, much like we as humans do.

I have many evidential audio examples, and I’ve been trying to find other people who would help me put this to beneficial use… especially for the animals, though, for a devoted pet guardian to be presented with what the beloved animal wants and needs to have heard, this can offer glorious benefits to the human counter part as well.

I have learned that this seems to be frightening for some people, but I’d like to ask for this… if there are people coming by the great one’s website who are honestly interested in learning the truth about this phenomenon, and who might wish to help the cause of advancing this reality toward a deeply useful purpose… please do. Audio recording submissions of your vocal pet would be quite welcomed help. I am NOT asking for any fee or payment, this research is for discovering the blessed truth, and I do believe it’s for a higher purpose than entertainment ! (more…)