Dear Mark-

This year I asked my husband not to spend any money on me for Christmas presents- the family being together and our love is more than enough. Besides we have added expenses with two daughters in college. However, he never listens so on Christmas morning he presented a big box to me which I could not even guess what it might hold. Upon opening I found three books-the first one on top Rescuing Sprite. I was overjoyed, for I heard your interview with Sean Hannity while out running errands one day on the car radio. I yelled to my husband “how do you know about this book” he said he listens to you nights when driving home late from work and heard your passion about Sprite and knew he had to get the book for me. I started reading late Christmas night and just today got to pick it up again to finish-now that the holiday company is mostly gone. Of course, I had to put it down several times towards the end to catch my breath and stop the tears. I always wondered how some humans have this incredible love for animals that it hurts, while other civilized humans can abuse, even kill dogs that wander in their yards! I can only describe it as having holes in your heart that require the animals love to fill. When you first see or hear about the animal the hole starts forming and only gets bigger over time.

Our family has three dogs- a terrier mix, lab and two legged chihuahua and four cats that live on four acres. I feel we have been blessed -like you and your family and so many others with the best, biggest holes a heart can have. Mr. Levin your book will be a true gift to many. I have read many dog stories-but none could put the feelings into prose like yours. By the way, I have never felt compelled to write a letter or e-mail about an issue until I read your story. All the adjectives I can use have already been expressed. Keep sharing the gifts God has blessed you with. Let Pepsi, Sprite, Griffen and many more to come continue nourishing your being-it is what makes you one of the best humans on the Earth.

Geraldine from CA

Dear Mark,

I am an 83 year old grandmother. During my long life, I have owned many pets —
dogs, cats, a Shetland Pony. I have loved them dearly, cared for them and watched as they left me to live in heaven.

I have purchased 7 copies of your autographed “Rescuing Spriite” which I have given or will give to friends who have lost a pet. I wish I had a copy of your booik when I lost my first pet many years ago. All of my pets including my pony are buried in my garden — a large garden, one-half acre.

I listen to your show every night. Your words of comfort and encouragement keep me going. I know that God sent you to earth to minister to your fellowman and encourage them to fight on for what we think “Jesus would do.”

May God bless you with good health and grest happiness in 2008..

Your number One fan at WPTF – Raleigh.

Diamond Matthews

P. S. Currently, my pet is a thirteen year old Pursian/ ally cat, mix, color calico, named Sweetie Pie, that I rescued from the clutches of a laborador retriever. She is in good health, and I pray that she will live many more years.

Diamond from NC

I have just finished reading “Rescuing Sprite”. My husband gave it to me for Christmas, the day after we had to euthanize our beloved cat, quite unexpectedly. We are animal lovers who have been blessed with many dogs and cats (a few rabbits, and at this time 3 chinchillas that we rescued from an animal shelter). Thank you for writing this book.

We had not had any dogs for about 4 years when a Samoyed came into our lives through a rescue program. one of those situations where the dog found us. He was our 6th Samoyed and our short time with him very much paralleled your story of Sprite. We have had dogs in our life again ever since, thanks to Colby We have owned shelter cats and dogs, purebreds, and strays. Each one has been a special miracle. It has been painful to lose each one. You have so well captured the essence of what we all feel when we love, and when we lose a pet. Reading your book over the last 2 days has been a catharsis for me, as my cat’s ashes sit in a beautiful box on a special shelf. We will plant him in one of our flower gardens in the spring, as we have done before. I also retired from teaching last June, and have been working part-time at our local Animal Welfare Society shelter ever since. I will be leaving soon to take a long-term substitute teaching position for the rest of the school year for a teacher who has cancer. I don’t think I could work at the shelter long-term anyway, because it is a very emotional experience. You are right about people who work at shelters. They are made of special stuff!! Again, thank you.

Paula from ME

Mark,

I received a signed copy of your book as a Christmas gift from my boss. He does know me well. I cried the entire time I was reading it as it brought back all the painful and guilty feelings I had when I had to put my Molly down 6 years ago. She was a beautiful German Shorthair Pointer. I knew the owner of her parents so I was able to go see her from day 1. I actually picked her out at 3 weeks old and spent the next 4 weeks going over to visit or bringing the whole group to work to socialize them (6 in the litter). My husband picked Remington out at 5 weeks.

On Thanksgiving day 1996, the same day we moved into our first house we brought the little snuggle pups home. For five years Molly drove me crazy, scared me to death and damaged or destroyed anything she could get her teeth into. I could not have loved her more. Shortly before her 5th birthday she began having lameness in her backend. Each episode would be worse than the one before. Finally one morning she went out for potty and could not stand back up. The fear and confusion in her eyes broke my heart. I knew I would finally have to let her go. I still to this day wonder if there was something else I could have done. Was I not a good enough mother and how could I have let her down so badly. It took months for Remington and I to accept it. I adopted Ping after 2 years. She is a younger sister to Rem and Molly and she helped patch the hole in my heart. I adopted Bella the Boxer last November and now my hands and heart are pretty full again. Thank you for a wonderful book and letting me see that other people go through and deal with the same emotions when making such a difficult decision. Big woofs from Remington, Ping and Bella to Pepsi and Griffen.

Angie from MT

My Aunt Chloe sent your book to me for Christmas. She is, like me, one of the biggest dog lovers ever. Your book broke my heart to read about Sprite and reminded me of my own dear sweet Muffy. She died from small cell carcinoma in September 2006. She was a stray who came up to my house 12 years ago and never left. She was a puppy then and my daughter was 3 months old. I had a long, happy life with this dog, who bonded with me like no other dog ever has. I have always loved all of my furry friends, but this one was different, like your Sprite.

I had to make the decision to put her to sleep when she wasn’t able to breathe very well, not eating or drinking. Her last day, I picked her up and she wagged her little tail, she was so happy to see me. The whole ordeal was traumatizing and exhausting. When I read your story, I know that other people are tender-hearted like I am. Never think your grief goes unshared or is diminished by some other tragic event. Grief is grief and when it is over someone we love, there is no comfort.

My daughter encouraged me to get another dog, but I broke down at the adoption center and left them a check instead.

I decided to become a foster mother and welcomed a yellow lab into our house. I wasn’t ready to have another new dog yet. However, I though I could deal with a “temporary” dog. But after I named her after my Aunt Chloe and after she put her head on my shoulder to sleep with me every night, I have come to believe that my sweet angel Muffy send Chloe to me to help me live with the grief of losing her.

Chloe is a mess and is a delight to have around. I never go looking for dogs, God sends them to me instead.

Thank you for your book. I share your grief and pain and I am comforted in some way to know that other people have this intense love for dogs that I have.

In memory of Muffy, and in honor of both my Chloes, all the dogs before, inbetween and after, God bless you, Mr. Levin. I am glad you persevered with this book.

Marian from SC

Talk about my favorite Christmas present ! As hard as he tries my husband of 37 years often just misses with my Christmas gift. ( It’s so him that I expect him to miss and am always surprised). This year he has so hit on the perfect present for me. My copy of “Rescuing Sprite” was a total surprise and I love it. I finished reading it on the 26th of Dec! I laughed and smiled and giggled and cried and sobbed. Thank you for sharing your story.

I have lost a few dogs in my life. The last was 61/2 years ago when my beloved dalmatian Luckie developed a brain tumor and we had to have him euthanized to save him pain. He was only 10 years old. I still miss him every day. ( I still have his ashes because I don’t know where I will live the rest of my life and I want to be near him.) I will treasure your book that so deftly put into words some of the things I feel. Thank you! (On a side note you mentioned your brother Doug on page 142 as having scoliosis. I too am a scoliosis sufferer. I never had the opportunity for surgery and find lots of support at scolios-support.org and would like to invite him to join us to help other scoliosis patients. It costs nothing and he may well be a real savior to others. Thank you.

Jean from OK