I thought you would be interested in the family dog when I was a youngster. My father was a physician and in the very early 1950’s he went to Dallas for a medical meeting. As they left the Adolphus Hotel for lunch a dog came up to my Dad wagging his tail as if he new him. Dad as usual bent to greet the dog and see if he was okay. After that they went on to a restaurant and when they left the restaurant to return to the hotel the dog was there and again greeted Dad as if he knew him. The dog was also outside the hotel when my Dad emerged from the hotel after the meeting. Dad worried about the dog but was unable to do anything as his friend was leaving and Dad was staying with them in a Dallas suburb. The first of the many remarkable things this dog did was that he showed up at the home of Dad’s friend later that night. Dad’s friend said since the dog was obviously attracted to him that he should take him home to North Dakota with him. Dad said they should try finding the rightful owner, as he would feel terrible if some children lost their dog.
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I can’t write about how much this dog, “BIKO”, ment to me right now. The pain and sorrow of the loss are just to GREAT for me right now. I just to need to honor my best friend through your forum. Thanks for this opportunity Mr. Levin. Thank you BIKO. I will never forget you.

Smitty from OR

I selected my little girl “Odette” from the humane society when she was 6 weeks old. A cute little mix / mainly Aussie Shepherd. To be brief, when she was 14 years old, my wife and I took a long weekend in San Diego and had a friend house sit to take care of the place and the dog while we were gone. It was over the July 4th weekend, and my friend didn’t think to bring Odette inside during the fireworks that invariably get fired off around the neighborhood. She spooked and jumped the fence (had never done that before.) Upon my return I scoured the neighborhood, my mom’s house (she lives about 1 mile from me, and across a very busy intersection) and for the next several weeks kept looking at the humane society and animal control. Eventually I gave up on finding Odette.

Then, in late September, my mom called me and said I should come over to her place to see what may be Odette’s remains. Sure enough, I went out behind a shed located in my mom’s back yard and found Odette’s decomposed corpse (identifiable by her collar.) It seems that while my wife and I were away, Odette jumped the fence and ran through traffic to the only other place where she knew she would be loved. My mom never knew she had made the trek over to her place, so Odette wandered over to behind the shed, laid down and dehydrated to death over time (July in Tucson.) Bottom line – she knew where to find loving. Sad to say that we let her down in not being there to give it. Broken heated / how sad. But great memories of our little girl.

Steve from AZ

My wife and I have two very wonderful boys who are both rescues. Our first boy, Aubie, has been with us since he was a pup. He is a Jack Russell mix. We adopted him from a no-kill rescue shelter. He was abandoned at a Wal-Mart along with several siblings and his mother. Aubie and his brother were the only survivors.
Aubie has provided so much companionship for both my wife and me. After our experience with Aubie, we will never have any other kind of dog.

Our next addition was a lab mix that I found wondering the north shore in Louisiana several months after Hurricane Katrina. After attempting to find his owner, I flew him back to Jacksonville with the intent of having him adopted thru the no-kill shelter. After the initial weekend in our home, our new addition, Austin, became part of the family. We have had several growing pains with him, including heart worms, but would have spend any amount of money to make him well.
My wife and I enjoy their companionship daily. It is hard to imagine them not being around, but at some point it will happen. When it does and we are ready again, there will be another rescue from a local shelter. I encourage anyone to get a dog from a local shelter. If you are not in the market for a dog, find a local shelter and help out. This help can be from giving money and supplies to volunteering your time.

Tim from FL

I had a beautiful dog (mutt) for seventeen years, her name was Tippy. We got her when she was only 6 months old. She was orignally my daughters pet, but really was my baby. When she had to be put down I cried for two weeks straight, and even to this day when I think about her it brings tears to my eyes, losing her was like losing part of my family. I know she is waiting for me, and when that day comes I know It will be heaven. God Bless you Mark for all the good works you do.

Rita from NY

I am a recently bereaved dog lover. My wife and I got our first dog after our 2 children had left home. We’d never had one but our Bichon, Jenny became a beloved member of our family. I am a psychotherapist and she often helped me calm agitated patients, who as soon as they saw her, seated quietly next to me, would brighten up and become accessible.
When, after a long slow decline caused by an auto-immune illness, I held her in my arms as she was put to sleep, I felt distraught. I confessed to my wife that the death of our Jenny affected me more deeply than the loss of close relatives. Reading Mark’s book has been a tremendous comfort. My wife and I thought we’d never want another dog, wouldn’t want to go through the pain of loss, but now we’re determined to get another.

Stephen from NY