Dear Mark,
My husband bought me your book this Christmas. I took it along on our recent winter vacation and started reading it on the plane and could not put it down! I completed the book on the beach in Aruba. Needless to say, I was crying like a baby. We had a golden retriever named Honey for 14 years and now have a yellow lab named jack for 12, so I can really relate. Not only did I love the stories about Pepsi and
Sprite, but I felt that I got to know you and your family. I have to say you are all amazing.
We listen to you on the radio and love your show, but I now can picture you in your basement office with the dogs outside during the show. I have alot of admiration for you and your family for how you love and care for your pets. Thank you for sharing them with me.

Maryann from NJ

I have not stopped crying since reading your book about Sprite.My Yellow Lab 7 1/2 yrs old had cancer of the jaw and skull and we put him to sleep Aug 12th. did not want to give him chemo and radiation. I am up to page 190 and have cried fior 2 days so far. hope I can finish the book. Read Marley book also. both good reading. I have since gotten a Labradoodle opup he is 9mos. oldam a senior citizen and did not realize how much energy you need for a puppy. have been married 51 years and always had a dog. just love them all. cats too. thank you for writing about your loving animals they sound almost human. I know that feeling as my lab was like that understood all we talked about. then my hubby and I had to spell certain phrases. Now this puppy is understanding certainwords we say. Be well I want you to understand that we are democrats but started listening to 790 AM when oj simpson trial started. Michael Jackson was on at the time he was not a republican. I get annoyed with all the talking about opposite party don’t really know why I continue to listen but when I can’t I jjust urn on music. you really start off and am so amazed oif the things you say some may be true but I want you to know that I am not very wise politically. would never get in any conversations because I can never back up why I think I like whomever so I stay neutral. but you are frank abiout facts but they astound me at times. be well and hope I can finish the book without crying.

Jeanette from CA

Dear Mr. Levin,
I have just finished reading Rescuing Sprite and thank you for sharing your love of your dogs and also the pain of their loss. I lost my beloved Golden Retriever, Solomon (“Solly”), in March of 2007 when I was in Vietnam. I went to Vietnam with a group called Tours of Peace Vietnam Veterans. My late husband was a Vietnam Vet. I left for Vietnam knowing that my Solly had aggressive bone cancer and was on heavy pain medication. This trip to Vietnam was very important to me because my husband had died from complications of treatment for a rare form of Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (cancer probably Agent Orange related) and I knew it would be a healing journey for me. There was no question that I couldn’t go. I left my Solly in the care of my wonderful pet sitter, Loretta, and my caring veterinarian, Tim, who both knew my wishes if Solly should take a turn for the worse while I was gone . Upon my return home I learned my Solly was unable to get up and walk two days after I left and Loretta knew that “the time had come”. She took him to the vet and they sat on the floor with Solly and stroked his beautiful soft, golden fur telling him how much my husband and I loved him and what a wonderful life he had lived. She told me 30 minutes went by before they could say their “good-byes” to Solly. When I returned home, I found on my dining room table, the beautiful blue urn my vet had picked out for Solly’s ashes. Inside a sympathy card I found a portion of Solly’s beautiful fur that Loretta had thoughtfully clipped for me to save. His collar and leash were lying by the urn. I started to cry, of course, both for the loss of my beloved friend but also for knowing that he wasn’t alone during his final moments on this earth. I had made my journey to Vietnam knowing that I might not see my Solly alive again and went with a heavy heart. I returned home with the beginnings of a soul that knew healing could begin again.

Carolyn from WA

Heidi was a beautiful dobermann. She was one year old, and was a friendly outgoing dog. Her family recently had to move to a smaller home, and did not have to space for such a large pet. She was going to the pound.
When we found out, we asked them to please let us take a chance with her. We already had a dog Dusty was a four year old Beagle. They hit it off right away, and Heidi became a member of our family. She was great with out three kids, and loved to go for walks, and ride in the car.
We had a van, and her seat was the back bench. She went everywhere with us. The only times she ever would cause a problem was when we drove by a McDonalds. When we would stop, she always got two burgers, so she recognized the golden arches.
she was a first class cuddler, and still thought she was a lap dog, even though she weighed over seventy pounds. Her place in the house, was the rug in front of the fireplace. She knew that was where she belonged. Our cat, whom Heidi would chase when outside, would walk around the rug , when Heidi was on it and tease her, because she knew that the dog couldn’t leave the rug.
Heidi loved to run. Our favorite place to go was the wash down behind our home. When it was dry, it was a perfect place for her to cut loose and have fun.
It was at the wash, that I first noticed that something was wrong. She had developed a slight limp. I thought it was something minor, and ignored it at fiest, but it became more pronounced as time went on. Our vet was baffeled .
He said it was probably a sprain.
About two weeks before Christmas 1996 I noticed that she was having dificulty getting up. We went back to the vet, and he sent us to a specialist.
Our new vet said that heidi was suffering from Drop Paw, a disease similar to MD in humans. We tried all sorts of therapy, but she continued to rapidly go down hill.
Two days after Christmas the vet came over. Heidi could no longer stand, or eat. She couldn’t control her ability to go potty anymore. She was distressed, but in little pain.
All the family was there, to hold her and say goodbye. All except my oldest son Ben. He couldn’tstand saying goodbye, and stayed in his room and cried. There were tears all around as I held Heidi in my arms, while the vet put her down.
It was like loosing a child.
Heidi was buried next to the garden, where she used to love to sit and watch the neighborhood kids play.
She is badly missed. I took comfort in the fact that she was no long suffering. I do believe that animals have souls, and know that someday we will be reunited with her in a happier place. A place where I am sure she is out running and having fun.

Brian from AZ

My wife and I moved back to Hobbs in Nov. of 2006. For about 6-8 months she noticed a small long haired dog trying to run with a pack of dogs. Being paralyzed in the hind quarters, the pack would be a block or two in front of her, and she would come bumping along behind.
My wife had a neighbor capture her and our lives took a dramatic turn.
Tuffy was in very bad shape when we took her in.
She was covered with fleas, she had diarrhea,worms,low white blood count, and no control over her bowls or kidneys due to her paralysis.
We had to decide weather to have her put down or try to save her,we chose the latter. Approximately two thousand dollars later she is happy, and healthy and a treat to our lives.
She has adjusted to wearing new born diapers while she is in the house,and I have taught her to sing with me to the meow, meow,meow cat food song.
I drive truck for Wal-Mart Trans. out of Plainview Tx.
I stay gone for 5 days. and when I arrive home on Sun. she always greets me at the door and is ready to sing.
If she gets hungry she will bring us her bowl and drop it our feet, look up at us as if to say, did you forget something.
Our local newspaper did a full page artical on her about special needs pets.
I would be happy to send you a copy of the article, if I could have your mailing address.
She is an excellent guard dog and is a treat to own.
Thanks for giving us a place to share our stories.

I listen to you on XM Radio on the road and streaming at home.
Keep up the good work!

Sandy and Stan from NM

Just finished reading” Rescuing Sprite” and it brought back a flood of memories of all the dogs my family and I have owned from when I was a small boy. (I’m now a supposedly responsible middle-aged attorney/Husband/Father of four and proud owner of a six year old Newf “Maggie” and one year old Corgie puppy “Quinn”. Over 35 years ago, our beloved German Shepard “Mitzi” had to be “put to sleep”, she was 12 years old, and had such bad arthritis and hip problems that she could barely walk. We had an old house in South Orange, and all the bedrooms were upstairs, so for over two months, my Father would carry our beautiful 75 pound Mitzi up the stairs each night, and down the stairs each morning…eventually her pain was so intense, she would softly cry, and my parents waited one day until the eight of us were in school, and took her to the Vet for the last time.To my younger brothers and sisters, Mitzi was “at a farm in Pennsylvania”…but we older ones knew she was gone…Mark your book helped me remember all that is good with our human/canine relationships…and as with your Griffen…other dogs will arrive in your life…but is it crazy that a 54 year old guy still misses his beloved dog? My Catholic faith reveres St. Francis, and I hope and pray for his intercession that when we reach our final reward, our human relatives and friends are there to greet us…along with our beloved animal relatives. God bless you Mark!

Charlie from NJ