My chocolate lab Chip passed 3 weeks ago today. I still can’t believe he’s gone. For 12 years he was my best friend or as I would say “woman’s best friend”. He was from a litter of 8. As I knelt down he came right into my lap and tried to rip the earring out of my ear. He was spunky and I liked that so he was mine.

Over the last 12 years, together we went through a lot. The first year I had him, I lost my father and got divorced in the same month. He used to sleep on the floor until I invited him up on my bed as I needed him to help heal my pain. Whenever I would sit and cry during this difficult time he would start licking my face profusely – he would do this so long and hard that it felt like sandpaper. This of course would make me laugh uncontrollably. This was how he healed me.

He would never let me sit in the house and be sad. He would start “talking” and wouldn’t let up until we went for a walk. I would often take him in the neighborhood. After awhile it got a little boring so we ventured off into the woods. That is where we discovered our serenity. I found and walked every town forest in the south shore where we lived. We met more friends and experienced so many adventures – this is where I learned to truly live and learned what truly made me happy. We then discovered different mountains to hike in New Hampshire and Vermont – and again he opened up my life.

There were times over the years, especially in the beginning that he was so stubborn that some people thought he might be too much for me to handle. He had this terrible habit that if he found a bone or piece of meat he wouldn’t drop it no matter how hard I tried to make him. It was frustrating and sometimes I hit him and to this day I regret that.

He had cancer about 4 times during his youth. They also discovered he had kidney disease at 6 years old. I never gave up on him just like he never gave up on me. We cured his cancer every time and the doctors couldn’t believe he could live another 6 years with his kidney disease.

He kept me alive and I him. It was devastating to hear a few weeks ago that he had bone cancer. The most painful of cancers. He had been panting and shaking and I know he couldn’t bear it anymore. One vet suggested amputation – but for the first time I knew it would be too much for him. Because his spirit was so youthful it was so painful to make the call and have the vet come to my home to put him to sleep. I hope I did the right thing. I prayed just as you did that God would take him so I wouldn’t have to. The guilt is overwhelming and I wish I knew for sure that I will see him again someday.

Eileen from Massachusetts

We are owned by 4 adorable
German Shepherds. They are the light of our lives and truly a part of the family. Their loyalty and joy goes beyond any words. Baron, 10.5, Tala 8, Rex 6 and Bruno 1.5.
Baron and Tala are the parents of Rex. Her one and only litter was born the night of my mother’s funeral. Baron and Tala’s love and devotion during her illness are the only thing that kept me going. When I was sad, they licked away my tears.
We kept two from the litter, Rex and Rebel. They were shot on 1/15/05. Rebel died in my arms and I rushed Rex to the ER vet where $1,200.00 later, he was ok, thankfully. He was so depressed over the loss of his brother (and being shot for the second time) that he rapidly lost weight and we were close to losing him when I found Bruno. His lively spirit brought all of them and me out of the deep, dark depression we were in. They are truly the most amazing, rewarding and joyful part of our lives.

Norma from Ohio

Just wanted you to know that my family had to put our dog FRIEND down the day after your book came out in stores yesterday. With you and your friends talking about this it was a little easier for me to help my girls deal with the loss. Friend was 16 yrs old Skipakete he was trained to be a compainion dog for my handicap daughter, he even dialed 911 when needed, my husband and i couldn’t even yell at my girls he protected them. We just put my mother in Hospic care, reason for you to know that is she never went to any of my kids activites except the day of Graduation of Friend from a dog training school where he recieved a titile of Assist Dog. I believe that Friend will be there when my mother passes to help her when she passes on, this helps me to understand the whole death seen. My daughter dose not understand where Friend is but no;s he is going to help Nana late and is with her friend Dana who passed several years ago. Thank you for writing your book. Oh yes i forgot we do have another dog named TAZ Friend picked her out at the Annapolis SPCA a few years ago when we brought TAZ home we realized she was deaf my other daughter taught her sign langange yes sign langange and now my daughter is training a bird to be a assist bird dialing 911 and much more. She also is a dog trainer so see Friend changed our life for the best by giving us his uncondisial love. His real name is
Heaven sent my FRIEND
Love Shirley from Maryland

Ellen and I were dirving from Cape Cod to an emergency Vet Hospital near Boston last night listening to your show on satellite radio. Sam is an 8 year old golden and we discovered that he has cancer on his heart. Today (wed–11/07) he will be put down. I can’t bear the thought. It was important to us to hear your show Mark. Thank you

Frank from Massachusetts

Howdy sir;
Im not goiong to get into all the dogs I have had over the years, but I have had everything from Rotties to Yorkies and have fallen in love with them all. It is very painful to loose one. When I was 9 years old I had to make one of the hardest deciisions of my life. I had a dog named Hercules who had been injured and may have been able to survive, but with the loss of a front leg. I was left with the decision of whether or no to have him put down. All I could think of was how much fun he and I had running throught the wheatfields together and playing hide and seek. I decided that he probably would not be happy not being able to play that way anymore. It was hard and I have been bothered by that decision for going on 40 years now.
I actually didn’t intend to write about Herc here and I apologise if I take up to much or your time.
The dog I wanted to tell you about is the dog in the picture. His name was Gary Owen. He was an Iraqi of the finest sort. Gary was born on FOB Cobra in Iraq during OIF I. He was passed down to us during OIF III. Gary was somewhat of a freind to all 700 of us at Cobra. Nothing that should not have been going on went on without Gary letting us know. No one or no thing came across the wire and into the FOB that we didn’t know about thanks to Gary. He was one of the most loving dogs I have ever been around. Long story short, we all had a love for Gary and when the time came for us to rotate out we tried in vain to find a way to bring him back to the states. He woulld have been one heck of a farm dog. Hopefully he is still with our guys in Iraq and doing well.

Robert from Tennessee

6.15pm, December 19, 2000… it is a time that forever remains with me…
Zeus was sick even though he seemed so full of life. The cancer inside of him was aggressive and systemic. But still I had agonised over the final decision for 6 days after the lab results had come back. My friends and family tried to tell me it was the right thing to do. The available treatments had no guarantee of success but every guarantee of prolonged suffering. When I accepted that a decision to keep him alive was more for me than for him, I knew the time had come.
Our last day together was the best and the worst. The day was warm and sunny. We did all his favourite things, we visited all his favourite people and places, we lay on the deck together, he ate rump steak all day! Pure, best friend bliss. But as much as I enjoyed every last minute, I was dreading what was to come.
We arrived at the vets at 5.22pm. There was a lady in the car park. She innocently commented on what a beautiful boy he was but I couldn’t reply. I broke down as I looked away.
Greg led us to a large grassy area behind the clinic and said he would be back shortly. For 30 minutes I held my boy in my arms and cried. I sometimes think he knew what was about to happen but just like the mate he had always been, he seemed more worried about me. He nudged me with his nose and licked the tears from my cheek.
Greg came out from the surgery. The syringe was in his left hand. It was blue. He tried to hold it behind his back.
I turned away and held my big fella’s head, silently thanking him for the times we had shared and the memories I would always cherish.
It’s now been almost 7 years yet I can still vividly remember the exact moment my heart broke… the moment everything became quiet… the moment I have struggled to get through every year since… the anniversary I still choose to spend alone…
because at 6.15pm, December 19, 2000 I watched the life leave the eyes of my best mate.

Mike from New Zealand