I’m in the process of reading your book. I know how sad it is to lose a pet. When I was a teenager we had a poodle named Peppy. He was a really good dog and we all loved him to pieces. He was always an indoor dog until my mom remarried and her new husband made us chain him outside. One day while I was at work he got off the chain and ran to the highway and got run over. I came home and my first question was where is Peppy. They said he had been killed. I remember crying for such a long time. When he was alive you could hear him wherever he was because his tags would jingle. After he died I swore that I could hear him in the house. I just knew that his ghost was wandering through the house. It kind of was a comfort to think that he was still around. I missed him more than you could know. Well, I’m now 50 years old and my kids have never had a pet. Finally my husband said we could get a dog because my daughter wanted one so badly. We got a doxie puppy, named Gideon. He is now a year old and we love him so much. He is so much a part of the family we cannot even think of him not being around. I feel like he is our baby and I tend to be a bit overprotective and take him to the vet at the blink of an eye. He sleeps with us and lays on our laps and plays and plays. He is such a good boy. I just wanted to write and let you know that I know exactly how you feel when it comes to our babies. They truly are a joy in our lives.

Kathy from MO

I just finished reading Rescuing Sprite and want to thank you for putting into words the way I feel about my own two dogs. I got Sadie when she was 8 weeks old and 6 months later rescued Skylar from a Foster group simliar to the kind you got Sprite from. They are going on 7 years old now, and earlier this year I learned that Sadie has cancer. After many tests and thousands of dollars I decided not to put her through surgeries/chemo/radiation. I felt at first like I was giving up on her but began to realize that I wanted her quality of life to be good and I had no previous signs that she was even ill. They noticed elevated calcium levels in her blood but she didn’t exhibit any problems. Last year she had knee surger on both of her legs but otherwise she was fine. Now more than 7 months later she is still doing great no signs of illness and I am so glad I didnt listen to the dr trying to push surgery and chemo. Both Sadie and Skylar are my best friends, and best of buddies to each other. They bring me so much joy and companionship and I have found I enjoy them even more knowing Sadies time may be limited!

Rich from IL

Hail to thee oh Great One – Protector of the People, Defender of the Dogs:

I’m probably one of your earliest listeners – from when you first started the evening show on WABC back in ’03 (or ’02?), and I have been listening and learning ever since. I have tried to call you a few times, but never was able to get through. Be that as it may, I myself am a dog lover and the proud owner of Strudel, my mini-schnauzer. I have always loved dogs and I actually divorced my ex wife partly because she didn’t want to get a dog. I got rid of her and got a dog, and have never regretted the exchange!

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This is not an easy post. I have loved four dogs over the years that I have had to put to sleep! It was the same each time….part of me went with them, and they knew it! I know they knew that what I did, I did for them. I literaly felt my heart break and it took time to collect the pieces…. as you well know!!

I was each one and held them, I told them I would never leave them and would keep them with me…they are all in a pocket of my heart and when I think of them I feel so special that they loved me and i loved them and that made us, together very special.! Again, you know what I mean. I could go on for hours about what they were llike, what they meant to me etc but they were just my dogs, my best friends, and a real connection with the love of God.

Marianne from IL

About a year ago my son was walking his girlfriend to her car after she has spent an evening visiting in our home. It was pitch black outside and after he had held the car door open for her he stepped back to let her pull off and almost tripped over something. He reached down and found a black and brown miniature Dachshund.
The little dog had walked up and placed himself at my son’s feet unnoticed in the dark.

He brought the dog into the house and my wife and I were appalled at the condition of the animal. He had evidently been on his own for some time. He was so thin you could count the vertebrae in his tail and all of the fur had fallen off of it.
We have four Weimaraners that are outside dogs and they are great pets which we love dearly. I could just imagine the agony that the owners of the little dog my son had found must be going through.
Of course we took him in and I placed a “Pet Found” ad in the paper the next day. We ran the ad for over a month with no response. With each day that passed the little dog grew stronger and started to get his weight back…and I started becoming more attached to him.

I had resisted giving him a name just knowing that the owners would show up on my doorstep and claim him.
A year later Oscar is still with us. ( I finally broke down and gave him a moniker). The only conclusion that my wife and I could come up with was that the Dachshund was traveling with it’s family and they stopped in town to rest and he got out and they didn’t realize it or they let him out to relieve himself and he got away from them.
I know somewhere there is a dog lover that was broken hearted because they lost their dog and I would love to be able to let them know that I have recaptured my love for dogs because of this little ball of fur. He has more personality than most people that I know. Know, previous owners, that there is not another dog on the planet that is more loved and taken care of then Oscar Lee Magilicuddy. And I promise, he will never have to worry about being alone and lonely again.

Steve from TX

I have had a number of dogs through the years, one for 15 years. They were all “rescues”, including our current dog “Max”. Max is a purebred male Pembroke Welsh Corgi. We got him from a family who did not know how to care for him. He is 5 years old now and we have had him for 31/2 years.

If you haven’t already seen it, you might like to read a poem called “Rainbow Bridge”.
Love your show. You’re a Great American!

Regards,
Scott from NJ