My family and I had every intention of attending your book signing on Saturday. However at the last minute we were unable to attend. I was extremely dissapointed because I had completed your book the day before and I wanted to tell you in person how much I enjoyed it and how many tissues I expended. I too have recently lost my best friend “Buttons”. Time has passed but it is still difficult to forget how much he is missed. We now have a new dog “Champ” who we rescued from a shelter. He is great company and each day is a new adventure. Having read your book, I can feel your pain about having made that final decision.

Time will help heal and your faith will help.
Phyllis from NY

Dear Mark…..We heard you on Rush Limbaugh’s show today and we were so impressed with your compassion for Sprite. We regret that you lost your beautiful buddy. We had to have our beloved cat, Beau, euthanized 11/06/06.
He had a lymphoma in his chest and could no longer eat…..just had water from a syringe. We were with him as he breathed his last breath and we miss him more and more each day. He was more like a son to us but some folks do not understand that. Beau was an inside cat and very affectionate….a lapper and sometimes a little comedian when he tapped on the bathroom door to be allowed in. We have him buried on our property in a little casket. A monument covers his grave with his photo and the words, “Beau…our best friend.” A statue of St. Francis of Assisi guards his grave. We do understand your grief and love for Sprite and admire your willingness to share those thoughts with your fans. May our beloved pets all meet over the Rainbow Bridge, waiting to greet us some day.

Toni from NJ

Today as I hopped into my car and turned on the radio to listen to Rush, I heard him introduce Mark Levine as he was being interviewed for a new book he had just published. As he began to talk about the heart wrenching decision to put his dog down, I again started sobbing uncontrollably. You see, I just put my dog, my best friend to sleep forever two days ago and the pain is still as sharp as it was that night.

Wrinkles was 17-years-old and although she still got around and still loved to play, she ended up in a situation where emergency surgery was needed to save her life. Because of age and finances, my husband and I agreed it was best to put her down and end her discomfort and pain. I wish I could have done more for her. As she died in my arms and her head slowly went down, she fell asleep and stopped breathing. At that point, I had the most painful sorrow that I’ve never experienced before. My chest just aches for her to hold, my voice continues to talk to her and I continue to see flashes of her throughout the day although she isn’t here anymore and my mind says she still is. As we all said our goodbyes, my youngest turned to me and asked if he could put something in her grave.

We told him okay only to find that after he left, there was a picture of Wrinkles and the four boys holding her with smiles on their faces and a smile on hers. This just broke my heart! We wrapped the picture in plastic and we buried it with her as this was his wish. This is an unbearable pain right now and hearing this broadcast put me back to that night as if it were yesterday. I could do everything for this dog but I couldn’t help her in her final hours and that just eats at me terribly. You spoke of this act as being a kind act for your pet but right now this is falling on deaf ears because I haven’t move to that part of the grieving process and these words don’t sink in yet. I think Rush said to you “The greater the joy, the worse the pain” and my heart understands that now. Is it a coincidence that this broadcast happened to be on the only hour I was in that car? Whatever, your insight, compassion and ability to move on does give me hope that eventually this pain will not be so stinging and I can look back and smile on all the joy she gave our family. Thanks for the free therapy! PS Wrinkles died on her birthday which was November 13th……..17-years-ago. She truly was a family member!

Donna from NJ

Your book has come at the right time for my wife and I..We lost our best pal our love. our child this past Oct 22, our little Maltese ( Monshee)to a long battle ( 8 months) to cancer we did all we could, we called him Muhie for short I only hope I can be as tuff as that little guy, we got when he was two months old and for the next 10 years 7 months and 21 days he was the center of our lives and us his, always ther for us the pain is so deep he was a person to only more. It help`s to know that most people feel the way we do, we wher blessed to have him but now he`s gone, a part of our heart is gone. I took the long way around but thanks the word we hear on your show help`s more then you know,…but you do don`t you. God bless and thanks. Mario V. Farina

Mario from NY

Mark,
I just finished ready your book and I cried like I haven’t cried in many many years. When I read your book you were describing our dog Daisy, to a tee. I could not continue the read when the time came. Poweful book. I’m still crying. WOW.

Thanks for a good read, it touches the heart.

Joe from NJ

Mark,
after listening to your show for the past 3 weeks and hearing your callers writting about their stories I thought that I would do the same. I went with my mom to a kennel to pick out our pet a tea cup poodle. When I saw the dog we were going to get he looked like a button among a mass of fur. I called him buttons being a spoiled child my mom ended up taking care of button and was very attached. 9 years later I joined the military upon coming home from training my mother was found crying when she told me that button had gone to hide and was not himself I was told that we needed to take him to the vet. upon our arrival I ran around the car and grabbed button so my mother could get out of the car and realized that button had stopped breathing my mother extremely calm took the dog before I dropped him. the vet tried to revive him several times but button had been gone for several minutes we said our goodbyes and went home my mother had lost her best friend and sought out another avenue to find another she rescued a dog that had been severely neglected and abused she would visit the dog everyday until he was used to her he lives with her to this day 7 years later and she couldn’t be happier. I am going to buy your book as a Christmas gift to her so thank you for taking the time to write it if it is as good as your callers say it is I’m sure she will love it and it could help her when buddy passes.

Kira from WY