We adopted two huskies and have six cats that live on our porch in a “cathouse” that I made. In our 33 years of marriage the joy of our lives have been the adopted cats and dogs we have bought into our house. We had Sadie Dog for 16 years and Sassie Cat for 19 years. Their pictures embellish our walls alongside our other family photos.
A close friend is the “ultimate” dog rescue r. We met Joy when we went searching for a flute teacher for our daughter. Joy works at SMU as and Admin Assistant and is home for seven dogs and several cats. One evening when taking my daughter to Joy’s house for flute lessons I was introduced to Buddy “the new dog”! Joy was driving home and the car in front of her struck a dog and didn’t stop. Joy stopped, gathered up the dog and took it to the vet. The dog’s left rear leg had to be amputated and a cast was needed to support a fractured pelvis. The vet’s cost was over 0 but heck, Joy couldn’t leave that dog in the street. Buddy healed and on my visits I would bring dog biscuits to treat her “herd!” Buddy gets around quite well on three legs and he’s a sucker for ear tickles!

Lou from Texas

We lost our dog last September. It was the worst experience! We had him for almost 14 years! He gave more to us than most people do! We feel that we were blessed to have a pet that represented GOD’s perspective of how we should live and be treated. Dogs show unconditional love and are so very welcoming no matter what mood you are in. I have heard that the word Dog is God written backwards! not to sound spiritual, but when you think about it, it just may be how God sees and loves us and expects us to treat all we encounter with the dame attitude and not to judge so quickly. love your show!

Patty from Virginia

Mark,
Sorry about the loss of your friend Sprite. I know how tough it can be to loose a beloved friend. Growing up always having a dog in the house I have felt your sadness many times and know that it can cause a pain only understood by those who have felt the same. Below is a story of one of my dogs. It is a bit long and I left out a lot so that you could hopefully read it with the busy schedule I’m sure you have. I too could write a book on his life and our love for him.
January 13th 2007. It brings a pain almost unbearable when I think back to that day. It’s the day I lost the best friend I ever had.
August 2000, my wife six months pregnant with our first son and I take a ride to West Orange New Jersey. There was a posting in the news paper for boxer puppies. We had purchased a boxer puppy a year before and after having her for only a month she passed. After that heart break I swore that I would never have another dog because I didn’t want to feel that way again. I grew up always having a dog in the house and once my wife became pregnant it made me think back to all the great dogs I grew up with and decided we needed to have a dog for our family. We arrived at the home where the puppies were to find out of six pups there were three left. Three boys running around the back yard playing. Two were quite nippy but there was one, twice the size of the others, that wanted nothing but to lick your face off. The owner called him Fat Bastard (Austin Powers reference). He was the one. We named him Boo Boo. In our eyes he was the most perfect animal god ever placed on this earth.
Skip ahead three months later and my first born son Liam Patrick came into the world. I read up on bringing a baby home to a house with a dog and the things that could happen if the dog became jealous. All of the fears I could ever have were abolished within seconds of entering the house. Boo Boo and Liam were inseparable. Where ever Liam went, Boo Boo was there. I think the first thing Liam bit with his first tooth was Boo Boo’s ear, he yelped jumped up and went right back for more. They were both perfect and we had the perfect family.
Three years later and three years of unimaginable joy my second son Riley Quinn was born. Boo Boo was excited beyond belief. He had one more family member to love, play with and protect. Three more wonderful years.
January 13th 2007. The family took a trip to see my grandfather in Wilmington Delaware, one that we had taken many times before. We talked played with the children and dogs it was a usual day with Grandpa. While sitting down at the kitchen table for lunch Boo Boo fell while standing under the table and struggled to stand up. A few seconds later I realized that he didn’t just fall he collapsed. In my arms he looked into my eyes begging me to help him. On the way to the veterinarian ER just a few minutes up the road, my cousin driving at speeds that could have got him arrested, I performed CPR on my beloved friend. They took him in the back and were unable to save him.
My best friend passed that day of massive heart failure at a young six and a half years old and there was nothing I could do to save him. I would have given up my life, everything I own and even my soul to save him and I know he would have given the same for me without a second thought. He was the most beautiful, loving and faithful friend I will ever have and his memory will live with me till my grave. I will love him with all my heart for all eternity.
May 17th this year we adopted a wonderful boxer puppy named Bosco from Camden County Animal shelter and he has been a great dog. He has many of the same traits that come with the boxer breed, the pride, strength, energy and love for the family. He will never replace Boo Boo but we love him like a son. Every day he helps to make the giant hole in my heart a little smaller. The only regret I have is that eventually we will have to suffer the inevitable heart break once again.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and for all that you do to help make this country a better place. In the words of Sean Hannity “your are a great American”. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for all you do,

Rick from New Jersey

Mark yesterday you shared a story that put this 6’1″ Brinks Tech into tears that it seemed never stopped. You told the story of the Police Officer and his wife who could not have children of their own and that they had their own little bundle of canine joy. That struck a deep chord with me because my wife Lisa and I have tried to have children for 8 years and we have a little Lhasa Apso named Holly. She is our little girl. She has been there with a joyful, playful smile on days such as Mother’s/Father’s Day when all we could do was cry. I bought her as a puppy to help fill that void in our hearts for the child we couldn’t have. I know the pain that I will one day feel but you PERFECTLY captured my heart and the hearts of so many others that relate with you thru this.
Thank you Mark, you are truly a Great American!!

Scott from New Jersey

Let me tell you about our dog, Brandy. Brandy was a laborador/golden retriever mix. We adopted her from a shelter when she was 6 months old. She was always with us … our child … and a priceless gift from God. We always felt that she somehow knew we ‘saved’ her from who-knows-what on the streets.

When Brandy was 6 years old, my husband was diagnosed with a rare disorder that left him permanently paralyzed from the chest down, and in a wheelchair. During his 3 months in the rehab center, we wondered how Brandy would eventually react to the wheelchair when he came home. We needn’t have worried. I was able to take her to visit him in the rehab center. When she saw him (for the first time in about 6 weeks), she jumped on him with such force and enthusiasm that we thought she would knock his wheelchair over. The chair didn’t matter … all that mattered to her was that she was able to see him again. When he eventually returned home, she was the best companion and protector for him than we could have ever wanted. Needless to say, she was a priceless companion and support to me for the three months my husband was not at home.

Four years later, Brandy was diagnosed with a neurological disorder that left her unable to walk, and caused other medical complications. As uncomfortable as she was, she insisted on sitting by my husband’s side and ‘helping’ him as best as she could. As time passed and it became clear that it was not fair to ask Brandy to continue in her current state, we went through a month-long process of grieving and saying good-bye, with her by our side. Her final trip to the vet required that she be carried in on a stretcher, where our vet confirmed that there was nothing more that could be done, and that she had no quality of life left. Saying that final goodbye was one of the most heart-wrenching things that we have ever had to go through, but we would not have wanted her final minutes to be without us.

During Brandy’s life (because of the gifts she had given us as a “mutt”), we decided that we would never go to a puppy store or a breeder when the time came to get another dog. Shelter dogs would be the only kind acceptable in our family.

About 6 weeks after Brandy’s death, we adopted two 6-month-old dachshund-mix puppies. They are a wonderful addition to our family, and we already can’t imagine life without them. They have already helped immeasurably in our lives.

Yesterday, I learned that my cousin and her daughter were killed by my cousin’s estranged husband, who then committed suicide. As heartbreaking as this news is … our pups have already helped to lighten the burden on our hearts, simply by being their bouncy and joyful selves.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share our story with you and others.

Kris from New Jersey

Sugar, my adopted, precous Dachshound, was rescued from abuse. i do not know the details. But I know that she has no remorse in her heart. Rather, all she has is unbounding love for me. She won’t take her eyes off me. I catch her peeking at me even when she is sleeping. She wants to be with me all the time, and crys when I have to leave her. She greets me with eager, open “arms”, begging to be held and hugged. She looks right into my eyes; I know that she has a soul.

One day It occurred to me that this is the way we should be towards our Father in Heaven.

And speaking of God, He has promised us that we willl be with our beloved pets in heaven. Isaiah 11:8

May this bring you comfort, Mark, and all of us who have lost beloved pets. We WILL see them again.

May God bless and keep you all and yours.

Virginia from Texas