Mark-
I am nearly finished with your book, Rescuing Sprite, and I wanted to say that I am so sorry for your loss. I have never watched any of my dogs be put down or grow old because unfortunately they were all escape artists. My beloved friend now, Harley, is about a year old. He is my angel baby! I can’t imagine losing him. My mom found him in the middle of a crossroad when driving home and convinced my step dad to keep him. I was absolutely thrilled! The last dog I had before Harley was Nugget almost 6 years ago. He’s a mix between Brittany, Pointer, French Spaniel, and Border Collie. He’s very shy when meeting new people, but adores me. He follows me all around the house where ever I go. I can even have outside in the front yard with me.

As I write this, I can hear him snoring away in his stupid little green dog shirt that reads, “Go Fetch Yourself!” He has brought us so much joy and has helped me with any stress. I am so glad you wrote this book. Without it, I would not know what to do. Thank you so much! Dogs are truly mans’ best friend.

Ani from TX

Hello Mark,

Just wanted to say thank you for making your essay into a book and sharing your story about Sprite. Not only did he touch the lives of everyone you mentioned in your book but everyone that gets the oppurtunity to read this wonderful book. Eventhough he is no longer with you he will continue to touch the lives of many people, he we also continue to touch the lives of many dogs thru the money you donate to the shelters to help make thier lives better so thank you for everything you do.

I had asked my wife to pick me up the book when it got released but she came home with a book about another dog named Merle, so I had to wait to christmas to read about how Sprite touched your lives even though she was with you for just a short time. My wife is a pediatric nurse and people always say that it must be such a tough job dealing with all the sick kids all the time but she always says that the kids that are sickest are the happiest kids she ever met and they have no worries and they enjoy every day and they put smiles on the faces everyone they meet just like sprite did to your and your family.

I have grown up with many dogs in my family from Misty my Shetland Sheepdog who protected me every day I delivered the papers, to Happy the Cocker Spaniel who always looked so sad. My grandmother found him on a beach after a hurricane one day and when she left to go home I ended up adopting him and shared my good years with him, too Brandy the Golden who died of Lymes disease at a very young age too my two crazy Puggles Emmitt and Romo that make me smile every day even when we have our toughest days, some how they know and they continue to love us no matter what mood were in.

Thank You for sharing your story, it was a joy to read about Sprite, it must have been amazing to actually know him. I hope Pepsi and Griffin are doing well and they continue to brighten you and families lives.

Gary from CT

In memory of my buddy Jake

a.k.a
“baby jake” (my wife’s gave him this one)
“putzer” (family joke)
Jacob (only used when he was in trouble)

No man could have asked for a better dog. He truly was a gift from God for us. This is not the best picture of him but it shows one of my favorite things about him. No matter what project I was up to, he also had to be right there. Here he is helping me dig (which he was very good at!). He was also good at spreading nuts, bolts, tools, screws, etc.. all around the barn and yard for me.

He loved attention of any sort and offered much more in return. He had a special look that no other dog I have had or seen could give. His big brown eyes would somehow reach deep inside you as if to say ‘you are the most important thing to me’. He would take playing ball or snuggling over food and any kind.

I know that I will see him again someday. I mean, how could a loving God pour out qualities such as unconditional love, faithfulness and loyalty into something and not have it continue on? Believe me I’m not out there in left field but I think there is a reason God put only two people in the Garden and a lot more animals (same with the Ark).

Our family will truly miss Jake. He has blessed us for 10 years and 4 months, which was way to short. Up until three months ago he acted like a puppy and would run and run and run all day and still wouldn’t want to come in. His spirit was willing but his body gave into a cancerous tumor on his lungs. We had the vet put him put down at home with the family talking to him and petting him. We buried him on the 20 acres he so love to run on.

WE LOVE YOU JAKE!

Robert from WI

P.S. Mark if you do read this, sorry but I have not been able to yet read you book. It came out the same time my Buddy Jake became sick. I’m hope in a couple of months I will be ready.

Dear Mark,

My friend gave me your book, “Rescuing Sprite” because I too have a rescue dog. Her name is Mochi. She’s a beautiful white poodle mix and is the light of my life. And, like Sprite, she has the most beautiful, soft fur I’ve ever felt.

Unfortunately, I have some very sad news. On 12/26/07, the day after Christmas, my dog sitter left the door open and let Mochi run away. I was across the country at the time visiting my family for the holidays in Wyoming (I live in Georgia) and immediately jumped on a plane that day to try to find her.

I hired a pet detective, have put flyers on mailboxes in every neighborhood in a 10 mile radius, put up 32 neon green and pink posters, contacted animal control and the shelters, put ads in the newspapers, and posted on every lost dog site I can find. I still have not found her. She still has not come home.

I am completely heartbroken and distraught. The pain I am feeling is unlike any that I could imagine. You see, my husband and I cannot have children, so my dogs are my children. Some people understand this and some don’t. That’s ok.

But, I haven’t given up hope and have faith in God and trust him completely. In the end, if he needs Mochi in heaven with him, I understand. It hurts so much but I understand.

Anyway, I guess I’m writing this because it gives me comfort to tell my story to a fellow dog lover. I know you can understand how I feel.

Thank you for your book and your work for rescue dogs. I know that those who read your story will be uplifted by it. Hopefully, I’ll have some good news one day to share with you about Mochi’s return.

Thank you.

Toi  from GA

I am an animal lover. I am on my 2nd cat in almost 4 years. I love dogs also but my living situation would not be great for a dog. I am an adamant promoter of adopting homeless animals. I believe they know that they have been rescued an appreciate all we do for them.

I adopted a beautiful cat back in 2003 after my father died. I just felt I needed something alive to respond to me when I’m at home. I knew he had a heart condition which, at the time, I didn’t realize how serious it was. I too used Old Mill Vet Hospital and they are terrific there. I used the boarding facilities also which are great. The cardiologist wanted Domino to have medications but Domino grew to distrust me as a result so I decided that quality was more important than the quantity of his life. He was happy and didn’t appear to be stressed by his condition and the medicines weren’t going to change the outcome, even the least bit, so I stopped them. It broke my heart for him to not trust me but that quickly changed and he knew that I was listening to him. He was with me when he died, only 3 days before Christmas in 2004. I will never forget that day it was so devastating for me but he never suffered. I still miss him and shed tears for him on a regular basis. He was so grateful for his home with me and it was a priviledge for me to provide that home. I would do it again in a heartbeat he was so awesome.

Now I have Abby and I’ve had her for 2 years. She was abused and mistreated which makes me so sad. How people can be so cruel to another living creature but she is gradually coming out of her shell and a lot less anxious. I love her!! I believe God places these loving souls exactly where they need to be so that they can help us as well as we help them. I loved your book about Sprite, I just finished it. I used to think I was over reacting and being silly but we can’t help the way we feel and time does heal, we shouldn’t rush it.

Debbi from VA

I just read Resuing Sprite yesterday and it really hit home to me in more ways than one. We resuced our dog Sandi back in 1995 and she was the most beatiful dog we had ever seen. From what we could tell it looked like she had been abused by the man from her prior household but she turned around pretty quickly. We were lucky to have for 11 years but last year she starting suffering with problems with her hips.

We brought her to the vet and we ended up putting her on riimadayl. It work for a while but in the end of November of 2006 it seemed like it was not working anymore. She had a hard time getting up from a lying position and she had trouble going up and down stairs. It got to the point where my husband had to bring her outside and hold her up so she could go to the bathroom. We tried other medication along with some pretty strong pain medication but nothing seemed to be working. I was also dreading the day when we would have to make the decision that we were now facing but looking at Sandi and seeing the pain she was in I knew we had no choice. The vet pretty much said that there was nothing else we could do but keep her comfortable with the pain medication but that was not the way I wanted to see Sandi the last years of her life. That was not her.

So we made our decision on December 3, 2006 that we would have her put to sleep the following day. We got her something special for dinner that Sunday night and I got up a made the hardest phone call I ever had to make in my life. Sandi never liked the vet and I did not want the last moments of her life at a place she was afraid of. The vet came to our house and as did Mark and his wife we put Sandi in her special spot for when the time came. That was and still is the worst day of my life. Sandi was my baby and not a day goes by that I do not think of her and wish there was something more we could of done to keep her alive. Sandi was put to sleep 3 days before Sprite at about the same time. My heart goes out Mark and his family. I know exactly how they feel.

Linda from VT