Reading mark’s heartwarming tale of sprite and pepsi continually reminded me of thumper. thumper was actually thumper “the third” — i grew up with two other thumpers, all black cocker spaniel or cocker/lab mixes. thumper the third was a grouch. but boy, did he love his mom and dad (mike and denise). he was loyal, obediant, always ready to jump in our laps and show us how much he loved us.

Two years ago, he got sick and i had to put him to sleep. the vet, bless her heart, came to our house because she knew how much thumper hated going to the vet’s office. i held him in my arms and cried and cried as she put the needle into his paw. he went so peacefully, but my heart hurt. badly. his little “sister”, our beagle, now has a new sibling, a puggle (pug-beagle mix) named rory. we love our dogs so much, but i will always miss thumper. thanks, mark, for this great site and for the opportunity to share my story with your many fans.

Mike from TX

Hi Mark, I wrote previously about my little border terrier Scout who died last spring. I have adopted a 12 1/2 year old border terrier from a family who didn’t want to keep her anymore. What a joy!! She is the best little doggie I ever had. On walks folks think she is a puppy. The problem they said she had (urinary) is no longer an issue. I switched her to an organic food and take her out more often and SHE SLEEPS HAPPILY ON MY BED. Holly was my Christmas angel!!!

Kit from MD

Seminole is a 9 year old shepherd and chow mix. An animal with the sweetest temperament in the world. When I return home from work he tucks his head under my chin against my chest and thinks this is the greatest thing in the world. His name, of course, comes from my favorite college football team. He came home with me at 41/2 mths. and we are growing old together. We know, as we have been reminded, “we are the lucky ones”. Seminole provides so much more than I ever could.

Harry from TX

Dear Mark, I just finished reading your beautifully written book and of course fell in love with Sprite,I listen to your show every evening on my way home to Westchester county from N.Y. my wife and I treat your show as a learning experience. We have two dogs a lab and a husky mix who is a pet rescue.

In our town of Larchmont N.Y. our entire family is involved in pet rescue dogs and cats,the animals are brought up from South Carolina (a kill state) and put up for adoption we are happy to say we saved 660 dogs and 280 cats last year. My daughter who attends high school is involved in animal rights and she volunteers her time with our local shelter and humane society.

We love saving these animals who offer there love and affection in return. Mark you and your lovely family gave SPRITE all the love and happiness a family can offer in SPRITES own way he will never forget you. Sincerely,
Elliot from NY

I have been attempting to read rescuing sprite since December. Each time l read a page my eyes water up and i have to put the book down.As a police officer in yonkers,ny for 28 yrs.l have seen a lot of sorrow but the loss of my little buffy 10 mos. ago still has me crying. She had also been abandoned and apparently abused as a pup when i found her. She was a 18 lb. llasa apsa and as l found out later, was a producer of gaul stones.

After two surgeries she again had more stones and the vet told me she would never survive the surgery. She was in great pain and l had to put her to sleep. I am so heart broken. My only regret Mark is that l couln’t go into the room with her and the vet and allowed my wife to stay with her. I am ashamed of myself for being such a coward.aI even saved some of her stones and a lock of her hair so they can be placed in my coffin when my time comes.
GOD bless you Mark, l listen to you every day.
Paul from NY

Hobbes was a Lab/Shepard mix. He was 4 1/2 years old but acted like a 6 month old until the end. I got hugs every day after work and he thought his 50 pounds classified him as a lap dog…. and it did in our house. Every annoying thing he did I would give anything to have him do again. The hardest thing I have ever had to do was to go pick him up off the shoulder of the road. We wrapped him in a blanket, I put a big raw hide bone between his legs and we took him to the woods and laid him to rest. We still have our puggle(free from a grocery store parking lot), our spaniel mix from the SPCA, and our most recent, a Pekinese from the SPCA-she gets her stitches out tomorrow from getting fixed…. so still a dog filled world… just missing our Hobbes….
Have not read Rescuing Sprite yet but I intend to…. anyway… just thought I’d share.

Patrick from VA

Patrick from VA