I wanted to send this out to our family and to those friends who love pets, and have heard about Pebbles through the years. Pebbles was put to sleep this morning as Janna held her in her arms at the vet’s office.

Janna bought Pebbles when she was just weeks old in 1995, (she was all white then, as Dalmatians get their spots later.) I flew down a while later and got acquainted with that wonderful dog, so gentle, loving, enthusiastic. Janna hadn’t married at that time, and while Janna was working, Pebbles and I spent the few days alone to take walks, eat, and sit quietly in the living room while she and I both rested in front of the TV in beautiful Florida.

The movie “101 Dalmatians” was out in the theaters, and wherever we walked, parents would stop with their children, cars would slow down, and children would be hanging out the windows saying “hi” or waving to Pebbles. All through her life, she was like that…she was so beautiful. (more…)

This morning I called the vet’s office to make an appointment. In a couple of hours I’m bringing my beloved corgi, Bailey, to the vet’s to put to sleep. Bailey and his companion Pumpkin are two rescue corgi’s I’ve had for 7 years. A couple was getting divorced and dropped these dear and funny dogs at the Humane Society- literally on their way to the divorce hearing. I received a call not too many days later asking if I still wanted a rescue corgi. YES! I told the gal at the other end of the phone…she then asked when I could come and see THEM. “THEM”? I asked her. Yep- it was a twofer deal. Though not blood related, these two have lived together since they were pups. They have been an hilarious pair- they play together, they sleep together, and together, they’ve owned my heart. This morning Pumpkin and I are struggling to say goodbye. Pumpkin is the frisky, pushy and chatty one of the two- yet this morning she’s somber and very quiet. She knows.

In the mundane world of practical matters I told the vet I wanted to stay with Bailey while he leaves us. I was informed that will be fine- and will cost $50 more. I’m not certain what that extra $50 will do- and though I’m cash strapped at present, I willingly agreed to pay the extra $50. Bailey is a treasured part of my family, I need to be with him to say goodbye.

Mark, I’ve been a devoted fan of yours for years- I listen to your show regularly and have benefited from “Men In Black” and my heart has been warmed and touched by “Rescuing Sprite”. I especially respect and depend on your unwillingness to back down from principle- regardless of the personalities involved.

Thank you for the space to share my story,

God Bless you and your family,
Deborah from FL

I just fiinished your very good book about Sprite. My dog Blackie died last Jan. with some kind of infection. He lasted only 3 days. We couldn’t get his fever down and he just got weaker. So your book was reminding me of him.

Pat from OH

Mark,
My husband gave me a copy of your book Rescuing Sprite. I cryed . In January 2005 we had to make the decision to end our pets suffering. Plato was a daschaund. He woke up the day after Christmas 2004 paraylized. We took him to our vet. and he sent us to the University of Georgia in Athens. We were told surgery was less than a 50/50 chance. He had discs that slipped into the spinal column and they felt the surgery would probally not help. He would have to stay for 2 weeks without me. (We live 2 hours from athens). I could not bare to put him through such a traumatic time and not even be with him.

We opted to go home. I called my vet on the way home and he said he would have done the same thing. we ordered a cart for him in hopes it would releive some of the pressure and it would help him maintain mobility. We understood the discs could slip upward at anytime which would cut off the respiratory system slowly. I cared for him around the clock. I had to express his anal glands and learn to apply pressure on the urinary track to help him urinate. i loved him and kept beleiving things would be better when the cart got here. He was still the happy loving dog as always. i got up 2 to 3 times a night to change his diaper to keep his skin cleaned. One night about 3 weeks after the initial diagnosis iI woke up to hear him having difficulity breathing. I took him to the doctor the next day , and the worse had happened. (more…)

I am on a fixed income and have not been able to purchase your book yet. I intend to buy it as soon as I possibly can. My story is about a yellow lab rescued by my wife and her two sisters.

They were on their way to Grove, Oklahoma when they came upon a dog that had been hit by a car and was lying on the shoulder of the road. They loaded him into the car and rushed him to a veterinarian, who recognized the dog as one belonging to a local resident. They found out his name was Muscle and that he was in very bad shape. Both of his hips were broken, one ear was nearly torn off, and he possibly had internal injuries. The vet contacted the owner and explained the situation to her. She informed him that she could not afford the cost of treatment and asked him to put the dog down. My wife and her sisters immediately volunteered to assume the cost along with ownership of this dog.

This yellow lab took about a year to recover and I told my wife that I thought they were crazy to spend so much money on this animal. He had to be fed by hand and had to be carried outside to go to the bathroom. But eventually he did recover and came to live at our house permanently in 1998. (more…)

Thirty years ago, my marriage of ten years ended in divorce. I hit my own personal emotional lowpoint. I had served six years in the US Navy, including almost four in Vietnam, and yet it was my divorce that really shattered me.

I had a three month old Akita X named “Doubious Doggus Maximus” or “Doob” for short, the confusion was intentional.

My soon to be ex wife had taken our Setter “Patches” with her . She had taken everything.

Anyhow, I was sitting alone in our almost empty house.

I was considering something that I had never considered before in my life, something that I have NEVER considered since.

I am ashamed to say that I was seriously considering suicide.

I was thinking that I had nothing to live for, I remember thinking, “why shouldn’t I? What do I have to live for?”

As God is my witness, at that exact instant “Doob” walked up to me and started licking my face.

All I could think of after that, was who the hell would take care of that puppy? Who the hell would love “Doob”? Because as we all know, the world can be a very cruel place.

“Doob” turned out to be one of the greatest dogs that ever lived. He came with me to Alaska to start a new life, and when his time came, he died in my arms after the vet gave him his merciful shot of death. I cried like a baby.

“Doob” saved my life that day. I owe my life to him, and more than once after that, (bandits and bears oh my). But that was the first time.

Anybody who says there are no dogs in heaven isn’t talking about the same place, or God, that I am.

Rest in peace “Doubious Doggus Maximus” my old friend, wait for me on the other side of that river all men must cross. We will meet again.

I am blessed to know that there will be several dogs, and my beloved family and friends waiting for me there also.

I don’t trust people who don’t love dogs. They seem empty to me.

Steve from AK