I received a copy of Rescuing Sprite for Christmas and finished reading it the same night. I can relate to the story from two perspectives…the first being as a rescue volunteer and foster mom. We devote our time to vetting and training our foster pups so they will have the best chance in finding their forever home. And the perfect forever home in my eyes in one like the Levin’s – a family who realizes that a dog is a lifetime commitment and will spare no expense to make sure the pup is happy and healthy until the end. The Levin family also deserves kudos for adopting pups that would (by most group’s standards) be considered “hard to place.” Good homes for older dogs are hard to come by, but when you find one, they’re always amazing.

My second perspective is as a dog lover…and as someone who lost a beloved pet almost exactly one year ago. Pepper was my husband’s dog when we married so the two of them had been together for almost 15 years when Pepper passed away last January. Pepper had battled mitral valve prolapse for the better part of his adult life and it eventually led to congestive heart failure. Like the Levins, we tried countless medications and therapies for Pepper, but in the end we made the difficult decision to have him humanely euthanized. We knew it was the right thing for Pepper…but that didn’t make the sorrow or the grief any easier for us to deal with. Like Pepsi, our dogs also mourned Pepper’s passing. I was amazed at how the death of one dog could change the entire dynamic of a household that rarely has fewer than seven dogs at any given time. Pepper’s death affected each of us differently, but all of us were affected profoundly.

To the Levin family: the rescuer in me thanks you sincerely for giving Sprite (and now Griffen) the life that every rescuer hopes for, and the life that every dog deserves. Animal rescue is all too often overlooked by people searching for a dog – I hope Sprite’s story changes that. The dog lover in me shares your sorrow and thanks you for sharing Sprite’s story with the world. 15 months or 15 years…it’s never long enough.

Godspeed sweet Sprite – I hope you’ve met Pepper on the other side.

Kristi from AL

Dear Mr. Levin,

I received your book as a Christmas present, and I read the whole thing in one sitting. I cried and cried, and I’m so sorry for your loss. I don’t even own a dog, but the book was given to me because of this:

I was driving home from the store one evening this past June. I noticed this beagle walking down the sidewalk. He was wearing a blue collar. He was alone. The thought crossed my mind that he might be lost/missing. This prompted me to check out our local missing ads. Sure enough, there was the ad complete with his picture on it. The dog had been missing since May 5.

I saw him several times over the summer. I won’t give you the whole looong story, but suffice to say, I became obsessed with getting him home. The problem was that he was very skiddish. If I even pulled the car over, he would run away.

The funniest sighting of him was when I saw him standing RIGHT NEXT TO THE TELEPHONE POLE WITH HIS MISSING POSTER ON IT! How defiant is that? I went through bags and bags of dog food, doggie treats, even raw hamburger, all of which I would throw out my car window when I’d spot him, hoping he’d associate my car with food. But he would run. I’d drive around and around the neighborhood. When I spotted him, I’d drive a way up the street, park my car, then walk back to that location, with my bag of food and a leash hanging over my shoulders. I’d hide behind trees. I’d call the owners on my cell phone to tell them that he was alive and well. They live about 25 miles away, so it was difficult for them to come every day. They got him (his name is Max) from a relative in Virginia. I think he had been abused and the relative rescued him. Why else would he be so skiddish? His owners had only had him for a month, and he hadn’t had the chance to get quite used to them. So, when they did spot him on their own searches, he wouldn’t come to them, either.

Two elderly women would see him in their back yards. I dropped off food for one of them. I wanted to keep him fed and in the area.

I spoke with one of the women a few weeks ago. Max hasn’t been seen in weeks. He would regularly come into her yard, she would put a dish of food out for him, he would take the entire dish to his secret hiding place, then return the emply dish. But he wouldn’t let her close enough to him to catch him. Now with winter here, I am worried about him. (more…)

Mr. Levin,

I recieved a copy of your book for christmas and I sat and read the entire thing, cover to cover, with a box of tissues in hand. I also had both of my dogs on either side of me, plus my mothers dog, and sisters dog! It was such a touching experience to read your book with 4 dogs laying all around me.

I grew up in Herndon/Reston and I have gone to JustPets for years, and even Reston Hospital a few times.

I have had to say goodbye 3 times in my short 25 years old. My two childhood dogs Cinder (Black German Shepherd mix) and Goldie (Golden Reteriver) and my Cat Sam (made it to 23 years old!). I felt evey emotion you had to wrestle with and cried my eyes out with you.

And like you, I have also found the stregnth to go on. Exactally a year ago I adopted a wonderful Catahoula Leopard Dog, Odette, from a kill shelter. She was an “unadoptable” dog. She was skinny, mangy, infested with worms and yeast infections in her ears and feet! Her poor boobies sagged like cow udders from nursing a recent litter of puppies. She was a wild dog until being captures by animal control in a barn, just trying to protect her 4 week old pups. No one wanted her. (more…)

I received the book for a Christmas gift and could not put it down until I finished the entire book. I cried most of the day. I lost my Siberian Husky (Stoli) to cancer and had to put her to sleep four years ago. It was the hardest decision I have ever made. I have gone over that decision in my mind constantly – whether I did the right thing. This book helped me so much. Thank you. Sprite was a beauty and you can see his spirit in his pictures. I now have a “pound puppy” that I am told is a Lab/Pit Bull mix. Alexis is my best friend. She is almost 5 years old and weighs 100 lbs. She is the smartest dog I have ever been around. She is so much fun and is a big baby.

A humane society is the best place to find the best animals. The people who work there are wonderful too.

Thank you for writing this book and sharing your angel with the world.

Susan from IL

I was given a copy of your book, Rescuing Sprite, for Christmas. We lost our dearly beloved Golden Retriever, Maggie (17), in October of this year. I couldn’t put your wonderful story down on Christmas Day. My family was given Maggie as a puppy when I was going through a divorce raising three little children. Maggie got us through many tough situations and seemed to hold the family together. She was a diamond in the rough, and we loved her immeasurably. I was remarried 13 years ago, and our merged family of five children simply adored her. Many nights my husband and I took turns sleeping downstairs with Maggie as she got older. One of my sons (23) and I had to put her down while my husband was away on business and it was extremely difficult for both of us. I wasn’t sure how he would handle this and I was worried. My husband wanted us to wait for him to return home, but Maggie was telling us it was too much for her to wait one more day. Now that time has passed, I know we did the right thing. Driving home from the vet’s, both of us crying in the car, my son said, “Mom, I just had to look at her big brown eyes so that both of us could see each other until the end. I wanted her to know I loved her.” Our love of Maggie was your story. Your Sprite filled my heart and touched my soul on Christmas Day, and I just wanted to thank you for writing it.

Sally from CT

I received your book for Christmas and finished it before going to bed that night. It is fantastic! I have two golden retrievers (my children in fur coats). Shelby is 10 and a princess. She welcomed Elliot (a pup) into our home 5 years ago. Elliot keeps Shelby young in spirit and Shelby has taught Elliot everything he needs to know. They are the best of friends—it is just amazing what Elliot has picked up from Shelby–the position they lay in when taking naps and other mannerisms. I can’t imagine life without these two dogs. As Shelby gets older, one thing I do know is that ‘Rescuing Sprite’ will always be close at hand.

Thanks for sharing your story.

Julie from IA