I wanted to tell you about my dog Niki. I found her at a gas station. Some not so good looking people were trying to sell her for who knows what reason. I stopped for just a sec to look at a pitiful looking puppy. She was filthy and shaking and looked like she hadn’t been fed in a few days. Although my instincts told me to walk away and avoid the scam, my heart went out to the pup. We bonded right away, and I couldn’t leave such a helpless animal in that condition. I cut a deal with her keepers and took her home. Niki and I became best friends right away. I am a truck driver, and she was a natural trucker. I took her everywhere with me. We spent nearly every moment with each other for over 3 years. She was my copilot, fishin buddy, friend when I had no other, and accepted member of my whole family. Last October I had an ATV accident. I destroyed my knee, and needed surgery. While I was getting cut up, I asked my parents to watch her for a day of so. While Niki was there, the wind blew open their back door. She went for a walk, and wandered into the road.
While I was recovering from surgery, the one person who would have been able to ease the pain and cheer me up, was only with me in my thoughts. I miss her dearly, and still can’t talk about her without shedding a tear.Among the hardest things that I have had to live through, burying her is second only to life without her.
Thanks, Mark, for this opportunity to tell my story. I’m a long time listener and I’m looking forward to reading your book.

Seth from Indiana

I lost my dog “jocko” about a month ago.It was one of the hardest moments of my life.I did my best to make it easy on her.I loved that dog as much as anything i ever had.In short sir,i feel your pain.Thanks for your story…Your friend,

Eric from California

Being raised on a farm in North Dakota, I grew up with all kinds of animals, and we always had a dog. My dad preferred a German Shepard. I preferred Black Labs when I grew up, and adopted a male lab puppy that was to be put down because he had been stepped on by a cow and had a broken back. He was timid, and of course in pain the day I took him home. I named him Jake at the request of my oldest son who was then 7 years old.

Jake recovered from his mishap with the cow, and became the most loving, hard working hunting dog any outdoorsman could ask for. At the sight of any of us, he would wag his tail so hard he would almost fall over.

Jake loved to hunt with me, both waterfowl and upland birds. He would work himself to exhaustion to find a bird that was down, but still be ready to hunt some more. He was more than a hunting dog, he was my hunting companion.
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This is our boy “George” we mostly call him “Gorgeous Georgeous”

We adopted him from a shelter here on Staten Island exactly one month after my other dog that we took in, Rover, had died.

I could not believe the anguish and absolute feeling of emptiness I felt after we lost Rover. It was a physical pain and heaviness on my heart. I felt guilty because I cried so hard and so often for him, unlike I had ever cried for some of the humans I have lost.

Getting Georgie has been such a blessing for us. At first we were hesitant to adopt an older dog, but I am so glad we did.

I related so much to Mark’s book, and I appreciate him opening up like this to share stories of his wonderful family, including his loyal pets.

Best Regards,
Kim from New York

I’d like everyone to meet Mandy, AKA “Alabama”. The unconditional love that she gives, I’ll never be able to repay. I thought you would like to see a picture of her with our birds that she loves to herd through our livingroom.

Jeff from New Jersey

Oh gosh, I’ve had wonderful dogs all my life and now I’m 70. Which great story to tell? I have several but will tell only one this time. Our English Shepard , Freckles came to us by chance, and she didn’t like having to give up her first loving owner…so she tried to find him and left us several times. Neighbors called us and we found her several times as far away as 4 and 7 miles. She was nice to us and our two young boys but she was very unhappy. She finally left again about Dec. 15. and this time we received no calls. We were sad but hoped that somehow she would make her way to New York and find her beloved master. Not much chance since it is 1500 miles but stranger things have been done by dogs. We had a terrible winter that year in Nebraska. Cold…so cold. Snow…lots of it. One day in early April, I looked up from my work to glance out the window and there stood Freckles….one foot in the air to take her next step, but pausing just beyond the gate into the yard. I could not believe my eyes, but I screamed to my little 3 year old son, to come quick, Freckles is back! She heard me scream and as we ran out the back door…..she turned and bounded toward us but never stopped until she made it into the porch and literally tumbled onto her old bed which we had not had the heart to move since she left. We all cried when we realized the terrible condition she was in. A bullet hole through one leg just below the knee joint and litterally covered solid with mud and cockle burs on her underside and legs. She was so thin….she definitely had been on her own all winter…four and a half months! She was so glad to see us….never again did she appear depressed or missing her previous owner….she was ours now….or better still we were hers! Over the years she was a faithfull friend to our three children….protecting them at least three different times that we observed, when she thought they might be in danger. She lived to be 16 and was nearly deaf and had poor vision. One Mother’s Day we went to the city for dinner, and came home very late. Next day our oldest son Eric, 16 found her on his way to school, in the ditch near the road by our house. She had been hit by a car. Later that morning the neighbor came by and was in tears because he had hit her with a trailor that was behind his pickup….she didn’t see it and darted out too soon. He felt so bad because she wasn’t dead, but very injured…and he had to get his rifle and put her out of her pain. We buried her in the grove and put a marker there for her. I know I couldn’t have raised my boys without her loving protection and care.

Ginny from Nebraska