Hi Mark, I love your show! I just ordered 2 autographed copies of your book. I can not wait to read it.
I am a long-time dog lover and rescuer. I am the founder of Grace for life animal sanctuary and train people to ride and rehab problem horses to support our rescues. The reason, I mention this, is that when you are a rescuer, you experience many deaths. It really does not get easier. You do learn over time that helping them pass over is our duty as their caretakers and they need us to be ready. They say animals come into our lives for a reason and leave us, when their job is done. I really do believe that I will see them all again. I have to believe that. They each have a piece of my heart and animals are truly our teachers. I am just so excited that the word is finally spreading, about how special these wonderful creatures are. There are no words to express the loss of a pet. My life is surrounded by animals and this is my passion. I have many beautiful memories of lovely senior animals that have spent their last days with me. I do know that I will see them again and that they surround and guide my life. I am grateful to those people, like yourself that are expressing their true love for their pets.

Currently, my heartbreak story is one of a young pekingnese that (more…)

Hi Mark- Your book has brought so many people together, and has removed the feeling of isolation from many.

Thank you.

Here is our story:
I decided I wanted a pet. Growing up my family had always adopted from shelters and we had never been disappointed. I drove to the local Humane Society. I did not have any type of dog in mind. I knew when I saw the right one, I would know it.
Once there, I decided I would wait a week and then return with my roommate.
I began to walk to my car when I spotted him coming from the back of the building. He was a mess and he came right up to me. I went and got an attendant, “Is he for adoption?” I asked curiously.
“Yes”, she replied, “but are you serious? I mean look at him, he is in pretty rough shape. He has been here so long we don’t even cage him anymore. The staff has kind of adopted him.”
“What’s his story?” I asked.
“He was hit by a car last year and we were called out to get him and put him down. He was in bad shape, broken ribs, snapped tail, crushed nose, he must have been a stray before that because he was pretty skinny too. So we loaded him onto the van and as we are driving back he starts to look at us and rubbing against us and we all sensed it. He was telling us he wanted to live. Back at the kennel, the vet saw it too. He said he would give him 24 hours, if he improved good, if not he would put him out of his misery. The little guy was so happy to be around people he got better quickly. And so, here he is, not much to look at but what a loyal friend he is. His vocal chords don’t work and we don’t know why.” (more…)

Hey, I just read your book rescuing Sprite and I cried and mourned. I felt such love in the story and was so overwelmed thinking about how much joy our pets bring to our lives. I lost my precious Spencer this July to cancer. He was an 8 year old chihuahua that was my best friend. He had the best personality in the world. He loved to walk, ride and play games. He had his favorite spots to sleep in and his favorite toys. I always knew I would dread the day he died but I had no idea that he would die so soon. I still cry and I feel such a huge void in my life. It was one of the most horrible losses I have ever experienced and will remain in my mind forever. I told my husband that I never wanted any more animals besides the ones we had. I also have three more dogs. But the very next week he went and bought me two white chihuahua puppies who I just adore. They are so much fun. They have helped with the healing process but the pain is still there. I I just thank God that he has given us such great creatures to enjoy in this crazy world that we live in. What a precious gift. Thank you for writing the book and sharing your stories. Im sorry for your loss and I truly know how you feel. Thank God for people like you who love animals and who are willing to give them a good home. Sprite will remain in my thoughts forever as will my precious Spencer.

Michelle from NC

Today, just a short while ago, I picked up the cremated ashes of Taylor, our family’s lovable 9-year-old female Chinese shar-pei. Although she had a few physical difficulties all her life, she had only begun seriously ailing for the past few months. We got the bad-news diagnosis of lymphoma on the 7th (my birthday and also the first anniversary of the death of Mark Levin’s dog, if I’m not mistaken). Ten days later, this past Monday, although we were hoping beyond hope that she would have a miraculous turnaround, our vet decided it was time to put her down. I had held Taylor, at that point a 40-pound dog that had rapidly lost 15 pounds, on my lap in the waiting room. I wrapped my body around her as she trembled in my arms, her heart pounding away. In the examining room, after the decision was made, I requested she be sedated first. After my wife gave a tearful hug and goodbye while Taylor fell into her fiinal slumber, she left the room with my 4-year-old son while I stayed with Taylor during euthanasia, and then I left the room too, quietly devastated.

Taylor, a fawn colored dog, and her littermate brother Pitch, who is a black bull of a dog and still going strong, were with us in Phoenix where we lived until we moved here four years ago. We called Taylor “the sunshine dog” because she would love to lay in the Phoenix sun, soaking it up until even she couldn’t bear it.

I’ve attached a picture of Taylor taken in our yard during the blizzard of February 2006.

I want to wish all the pet lovers out there a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, especially those of you who have had to lay their pets to rest, especially during the holiday season. God bless.

Michael from NJ

Mark thank you for that wonderful book, I only cried once but it lasted the last one hundred pages. we just put down our sadie-may down two weeks ago a yellow lab mostly white about like sprites snout. we have had dogs most my life this one seem so special, friend to many, but very protective of her family, she would wait for the school bus two hours every day to walk our son up the driveway, we had her 12 years. reading your book really hit home. thanks.

Greg from MN

MARK:
GREAT BOOK!!!! I CRIED. WE HAD TO PUT OUR 3YR OLD CORGI “ROCKWELL” TO SLEEP THIS PAST JUNE.. HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANINE LYMPHOMA IN JANUARY. WE DID THE BEST MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR HIM WHICH GAVE HIM ANOTHER 6 MONS. ON 1 OCCASSION AT THE VETS’ RECOMMENDATION, WE WERE SCHEDULED TO PUT HIM DOWN, I COULD NOT DO IT. HE SEEMED SO ALIVE. THEN ONE DAY HE COULDN’T MOVE AND HIS BREATHING WAS LABORED. I WAS IN COMPLETE DENIAL BUT I KNEW I COULD NOT KEEP HIM SUFFERING. I AM CRYING AS I WRITE THIS, I MISS HIM SO.

BUT SHORTLY AFTER ROCKWELL LEFT US, MY HUSBAND COULD NOT SEE ME SOO SAD, SO HE CONTACTED A BREEDER IN CHARLES COUNTY AND SHE SAID SHE HAD A LITTER OF CORGI PUPS SO WE DROVE DOWN TO HER FARM AND I WOULD HAVE TAKEN ALL OF THEM BUT THERE WAS ONE THAT HAD THE SAME COLORING AS ROCKWELL BUT SHE SAID THAT SOMEONE HAD A DEPOSIT ON HIM MY FACE MUST HAVE FALLEN TO THE GROUND, SHE CAME OVER AND SAID THAT THE PERSON WHO HAD A DEPOSIT ON THIS LITTLE GUY COULD PICK ANOTHER PUP. WE TOOK “LITTLE ROCK” HOME AND HE TURNED 8 MOS. ON DEC 15TH. BUT AS MUCH AS I LOVE HIM I STILL MISS “BIG ROCK”

THANK YOU FOR WRITING YOUR BOOK.

Joanne from MD