Mark,
I’m a regular listener, fellow conservative, and above all dog lover. I purchased and read your book. I remembered my own joys and sorrows with tears in my eyes as I read. Dogs are a true gift to us humans. My own “Spot” I am sure would have wound up in a shelter or worse had I not rescued her.

I am truly sorry for your loss and know how I felt when I have lost previous dogs, and how I feel about even the thought of when Spots time with me is through.

I have only one thing about your story that srikes me in a little bit the wrong way. Somewhere you mention that “a portion of your proceeds will go to animal shelters” which in my mind leaves open the possibility that you will also profit from the book. I would have rather seen that all of the proceeds went to shelters or other charities. Or, no mention at all of what you are doing with the proceeds, thereby keeping what you do with it personal and private.
I can understand the catharsis and wanting to share your story. For myself I don’t think that I would want to profit from the death of a loved one.

Thanks for the great book, and your great articulation of our conservative cause.

Charles from MI

We rescued a dog a year ago.Our shelter is a no kill shelter they have dogs that are 15 years old that came when they were puppies.Our dog Boo is a bichon she was part of a puppie mill they were taken from the owners because they were being mistreated.She had 9 puppies at the time. Of course the puppies went right away. Boo was there for about 4 months when we found her.

Of course she wasn’t housebroken yet as she had lived in a cage all her life.She had never had any human contact.It was a long job about 8 months to finally get her trained but we did it.She is the most loving dog that I have ever had.I know she really loves her life now.She has been on 2 trips with us.I ordered a book that tells the places that accept dogs.I don’t think I said she was 3 years old when we got her.I loved your book.Got it in the mail and read it the same day,couldn’t put it down.

Mary from IA

I just finished Rescuing Sprite
and was so glad that you decided to write this book. Dog lovers truly understand the emotions you and your family experienced. I did want to address something you mentioned about Sprite’s shying away from pats on the head. Our first boxer, Champ was the same way. Because we had raised him from puppyhood I knew he wasn’t abused but still I was puzzeled by the behavior. Then I read something, somewhere that explained that some dogs because of the positioning of their eyes see only a large object coming towards their face and immediately duck out of reflex.

Our current boxer, Charlotte is exactly the same way. In looking at Sprite’s beautiful, soulful eyes I can’t help but think that may be the reason he reacted that way. I know I would prefer to believe that as opposed to abuse and truly hope that is the reason. I would also like to add that when we lost Champ 2 years ago to cancer (onset sudden and fatal). We were totally unprepared. My husband like you wanted to do everything humanely possible to not only prolong his life but also asure a life without pain felt we should opt for chemo.

Unfortunately the first dose was enough to take him over the edge and we lost him the next day. I would never choose that route again. That year was very bad for us. My mother became very ill, my husband fell off the roof, was intensive care for 3 weeks, my father died and then 4 months later Champ died. I reacted the most severly to Champ’s death and went into a very dark depression.
Please know that you are not alone and your book really helped showing me that it is a good thing to be a crazy dog lover!
Thank you,
Nancy from OR

7 years ago, I met a 6 week old Great Dane. Little did I know that this little girl would change the lives of many, including mine. As the years went by, our bond strengthened. She never left my side. From an early age I realized how intelligent she was. I decided to teach her as much as I thought a dog could possibly learn. Her response was quite impressive. More impressive was her understanding of relationships.

One weekend my wife and I took Halle to a local dog park. Halle had never been around so many dogs at once. Several dogs began fighting in the distance. Halle rushed to the scene and stepped in between the two fighting dogs. It took her a couple of snaps to get them to back away. As they slowly backed away from each other, still visibly angry, Halle remained in between them and gave them each a scolding bark. The hair on her back lowered as they went on their way. Arguments at home became a rare occurrence as well.

Halle truly appreciated and understood our relationship. When she was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June of 2007, we were heartbroken. She had developed a tumor on her wrist which required amputation. This was only to accommodate her as far as pain was concerned but would not prolong her life. She was given between 3 and 6 months. We were excited when December came around and she was tumor free, so we thought. The lungs are usually affected first after a diagnosis.

On January 13th 2008, we came home to find her very swollen in the abdominal area. We rushed her to the vet fearing bloat. On the way to the vet, she put her head in my wife’s lap, looked up at her and began seizing. She was having a heart attack. We did all we could but after 2 more heart attacks we let her go. She passed away around 5am. She had developed a tumor deep in her abdomen as opposed to her chest as we had expected. It caused the same complications as bloat would have. We knew it would happen but we hate that it happened so fast.

The day before she passed she asked to go outside. I sat with her for awhile and then went inside for a bit. I later looked through the window to check on her. As she sat on the grass she seemed to be pondering. She would look up at the trees then the sky and even follow a leaf as it blew by. I took pictures of her that day and looking back I can see why enjoyed that day in the sun. My wife and I put together a slide show for her. There is no way words can express how loved Halle was. My wife and I put together a slideshow of her. This tribute is dedicated to all who have loved and lost. God bless all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl1k7tSMTnI

Terry from TX

I received this beautiful story and felt it needed to be shared.

The Old Man and the Dog

“Jody, Watch out! You nearly broad-sided that car!” My father yelled at
me. “Can’t you do anything right?” Those words hurt worse than blows. I
Turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me
To challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I
Wasn’t prepared for another battle.

“I saw the car, Dad. Please don’t yell at me when I’m driving.” My
Voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt. Dad
Glared at me, then turned away and settled back. (more…)

Dear Mark —

We recently lost two of the most precious dogs God ever created. Our gentle giant, Bella, was the sweetest German Shepherd, 105 pounds of slurpy kisses and wagging tail,suffered much the same as your Spritey with crippling arthritis. We were blessed with a wonderful vet, who tried everything including accupuncture to give her some relief. However, the disease overcame her and we had to make that awful decision to have
her euthanized. My husband, who has serious heath issues of his own, was devastated and still feels her loss.

Five weeks after her death, we discovered that our beloved bouncing ball of energy and mischief, our Westie, Peach, had untreatable cancer and while he was in surgery, our vet once again came to us with bad news and we had to consent to have him euthanized. He was my special little boy, and while it has been nearly 3 months I still cry for him every day. We just couldn’t let him suffer both from the surgical recovery period and from the cancer.

I must tell you that the interactions of these two dogs was priceless. When they were both pups (they were approximately the same ages) what one didn’t think of, the other did — just like two kids. They brought us joy and unadulterated love, no questions asked. (more…)