Mark,
I read “Rescuing Sprite” today. About a month ago, I was saying to my wife Suzanne that I would like to read your book during my Christmas break. But we went through very similar circumstances with our Doberman “Conan” about eight years ago. I got cold feet about reading the book, somehow feeling that it would still be emotionally difficult for me to handle. A gift autographed copy of “Sprite” arrived anonymously today for Christmas. I unwrapped it and laid it on the kitchen counter. After walking past it a half dozen times, it kept drawing me back, so I sat down and started reading it. I couldn’t put it down, I completed the entire book in one sitting. I smiled a lot, I cried a lot, I loved it. Both of my dogs were sleeping on their bed beside me the entire time.

We went through incredibly similar circumstances with our “Conan” a few years ago. We now have two rescue dogs, “Midnight” and “Wyatt”. Just like Pepsi, our Midnight was a survivor of the loss of Conan. She grieved along with us and has welcomed a new friend into our house.

Thank you for writing “Rescuing Sprite” and thank you for sharing Sprite with all of us.

Jesse and Suzanne from KS

I am your dog, and I have a little something I’d like to whisper in your ear.

I know that you humans lead busy lives. Some have to work, some have children to raise.

It always seems like you are running here and there, often much too fast, often never noticing the truly grand things in life. Look down at me now, while you sit there at your computer.

See the way my dark brown eyes look at yours? They are slightly cloudy now. That comes with age. The gray hairs are beginning to ring my soft muzzle. You smile at me; I see love in your eyes. What do you see in mine?

Do you see a spirit? A soul inside, who loves you as no other could in the world?

A spirit that would forgive all trespasses of prior wrong doing for just a simple moment of your time? That is all I ask. To slow down, if even for a few minutes to be with me. (more…)

Dear Mark. I have listened to your show over the past few weeks some but I have had to turn the channel when you talk about your new book. I was the proud owner of a Golden Retriever. Sam was with us for 15 years and as of late going downhill fast. This morning I had to do something I dreaded for a long time. I always said I would take care of her as long as she wasn’t suffering. This last week was hard because it was obvious that she was suffering. This morning I had to have the vet put here down. We have lost a truly great friend and I’m having trouble dealing with it. The only thing I can focus on now is the good life she had. For 15 years she was loved like on of the kids. Now I realize by listening to your show it helped me deal with our loss better because I had time to reflect on the positives. Thanks again for all you do.

Jeff from MI

We had a Pug, about 7 years old and he died in our truck. It broke our heart and we swore we would never get another dog but last month we bought another Pug. He is 3 months old and a joy to have around.

Joe from IL

We adopted Maxi in the summer of 1991 when she was just six months old. We had no idea what happened to her in the past, we only knew we had adopted a great dog.

Maxi lived to be 14 years old. Not long after her 14th birthday, the vet was expressing her anal glands and found a lump. He thought nothing of it at the time, but told us to come back in one month so he could check it again.

In that one month time frame, the lump had more than doubled in size. We knew what was coming.

Maxi declined very quickly after the diagnosis. Her liver began to fail, she would rarely eat and she would throw up a lot, mostly bile.

Although she was a german shepherd, very few people who met her were actually scared of her. Those of us who are dog lovers, knows that, more often than not, beneath the protective exterior of a large dog, beats the heart of a pussycat.

Michelle from Ontario, Canada

I have said since I have been a teenager, I am now 50, that the problem with pets that with the exception of your last one, you always out live them. There has only been a period of a few years when i have not had a dog in my life. I currently have two dogs, Maya and Haley. Maya is the smartest dog that I have ever had and Haley is the most competitive dog that I have ever had. While Maya (Rottweiler/Newfoundland mix but I am sure that there is some Geman Shepherd in there) came from someone who that thought that they were creating a new breed, I call it mutt and then Haley (I belive is a purebread lab) was rescued from the Vancouver, WA Humane Society. The differences in them are astonishing. I only have to raise my voice to Maya and she does what she knows is right and if I raise it too loud she may sulk for days. Haley on the other hand has the attention span of a gnat combined with selective hearing. (more…)