A little over 14 months after my 11-year marriage ended in divorce, it was time to also say goodbye, once and for all, to my beloved cocker spaniel, Ace, who had been my constant companion for almost 14 years. Like you Mark, I had prayed that God would let him die peacefully in his sleep. My prayer, too, went unanswered. I had attempted several times before to end his pain and could never follow through with it. It was at those times when I had decided to euthanize him that he seemed to have a little more pep in his step or didn’t appear to be in as much pain so I would begin to doubt whether or not I was doing the right thing. Ultimately, on August 18, 2005, God gave me the courage to finally ease his pain and have him euthanized. It was a decision that tormented me up until the moment that his heart stopped beating.

I opted to have him cremated at Paws in Heaven in Canyon Lake, Texas. Not wanting Ace “shipped” from the veterinarian’s office to the crematorium which was located in a different town, I opted to drive him there myself. What a difficult drive that was. The family that operates Paws in Heaven was truly a blessing at what proved to be an enormously painful time. I thought when I arrived they would take Ace from me, cremate him and return his ashes to me. That was anything but what happened. Upon arriving, they did in fact take Ace from me and asked me to have a seat in the waiting room. What happened next was unexpected. I walked through the doors to the outside of the office to find Ace lying on a table, his trusty yellow tennis ball nestled between his paws. They had set up a memorial for my little Ace Baby. I was overwhelmed with grief. Saying goodbye to him is one of the most difficult things I’ve endured at this point in my life. Not only was I saying goodbye to Ace, I was permanently closing a chapter of my life with my ex-husband. He and I had picked Ace out together. My marriage had died. Now so had my dog. Now I had to break the news to my two daughters.
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Mark, I think your dog series is awesome. This is the obituary I sent to the Mayor of Honolulu shortly after I retired from the Marines in October of 03. I think I will always miss my mutt Dozer.

Dear Sir,
On Mothers Day of either 1994, 95, or 96 we adopted an old dog from the Honolulu humane society. At the time we thought he was about seven years old or so. He was very skinny and had been abused we believe. The ladies at the shelter were very concerned that we might not keep Dozer. You see he was older, seven years, and we were military. They were afraid that we might be forced to abandon him as we moved away. It took two interviews that day, but in the end the concerned ladies relented and Dozer came home with us.

Eventually our Hawaiian time ended and the Marines sent us to California, then to Texas, then back to California, and finally back to Texas to retire. Thru this time Dozer was with us. He never did put on any weight. Many vets visits later determined no real problem, he just wasn’t the type to eat much. As our grade school kids entered high school and college Dozer began to show the signs of being elderly. He slept more, and was a bit short tempered (but not violent) with our cats.
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Dear Mark: I want to share a brief, true story about the day I met my loving friend, Chase. My family, wife and son, have always had terriers as pets. Previously, we have always brought home puppies, usually wire haired fox terriers. However, after the loss of our beloved Jack Russell Terrier, Bernie, we have fallen for those most mischievous but intelligent creatures. At my wife’s suggestion, we decided to rescue an adult. I looked for months on the Internet, speaking with scores of owners. Finally, we decided on Chase (see his attached photo). On the day of his arrival, I went to the Burbank Airport to pick him up in his kennel, shipped from Seattle. I saw his eyes gleaming at me through the screen. As I went to take him into my arms, I opened the kennel, and as I did, he shot through my arms like a football through a rookie’s. He started racing through the airport. I was hysterical, praying he did not run outside into traffic. Thankfully, he had it in mind to rush through security. I am right behind him screaming: “Chase, Chase!” I was just waiting to be tackled by the police. Mercifully, he heard his name and came to a halt. I grabbed him up and haven’t let go yet. Chase has, of course, taken over the house. I know now that we will always rescue our pets. They are just too special.

Miles from California

Hi Mark,

My wife and I lost our best friend today, her name was Terra. She was a beautiful Austrialian Shepard which we adopted from the pound in Camarillo, CA. We’ve had her for 13 years now and she has been a wonderful companion for us ever since. Saying that we’re crushed is an understatement and we’ve both been crying all day long. She died naturally in our arms and we we’re both grateful that we were there holding her and telling her how much we loved her. I guess the reason I’m writing to you is that I listen to your show two or three times a week on my way home from work. I’m on a rotating shift or I’d be listening more. I do however, occasionally have had a favorite pass time which involves both you and Terra. On occasions when I’m off in the evening (especially in the summer months when it’s warm) I’ll open up the garage, back the cars out and turn on 790AM with Mark Levin ranting with all his spirit the beliefs which I passionately share. Some of my favorite times in my life were spent sitting in the dark, smoking one of my favorite cigars while sipping cognac listening to you while Terra layed at my feet. I would have called the show but I would have only blubbered. Keep up the great work Mark and if you ever need to go through the gates of hell, let me know and I’ll be glad to knock them down for you and go on in first.

Hope you like the photos

Mike from California

Dear Mark,

Your tribute to Sprite is indeed heartwarming, and I can truly say that we are kindred spirits. Our canine experiences and reactions are quite parallel, and understand how you felt, when you began to write your inspirational canine tale.

Reading about Sprite, not only touched my heart, and brought tears to my eyes, but it reminded me how I felt when I lost my remarkable Boston Terrier, Boomerang. He was beautiful on the inside and out. We shared a very special bond, as you did with your beautiful Spaniel mix, Sprite.

Mark, back in 2002, I wrote a book about my beloved Boomerang, entitled “Boomerang-A Miracle Trilogy (The tale of a remarkable Boston Terrier”. Just like you, I was grief stricken, after losing Boomerang after just 23 short months. He changed my life, and inspired me with his loyal devotion, never ending courage, unconditional love, and ability to connect with people. What started as a therapeutic journal, to ease my pain, evolved into a 292 page trilogy about sharing my life and love with Boomerang.

I feel as if I know you, even though we have not yet met. I look forward to seeing you at the book signing on 11/10 at the Book Revue. We have endured and survived similar feelings of loss and pain, and we both turned to writing as a catharsis to share the story with others. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I’m a big fan.

Most sincerely,

Arlene from New York

Seems like yesterday, but I had to put my cat down of 13 years. Words can not explain the loss one feels when such a horrible decision has o be made so your pet can go peacefully. I am a home dialysis patient and dealing with that was much harder than my ongoing health issues. I felt (and still feel) isolated about the decision that was made. She(Ashley- aka smoochie) was always there for me. No one wants to talk about it and for know that is good. It still is something I get upset about fairly often. These animals give us a special love that is unbiased and without any strings attached.

Lawrence from Ohio