I have loved animals since I was a little girl. When I was around five years old my dad brought home a puppy that a man was giving away in the street, that we named Poochy. My mother was not an animal lover and had no patience for a puppy who was chewing everything in sight. One day she called the ASPCA and a man in van came to take Poochy away. I remember the man saying “why do you want to get rid of this dog, he seems like such a good dog?”. I don’t really remember my mother’s answer but I can tell you that watching the man take Poochy away haunts me to this day. I’m crying as I write this and it is forty years later. I knew from that day on that I would never treat an animal as just object that is disposable. A year later my father brought home another puppy we named Cinzia. I’m very happy to say that even though my mother did not want an animal in the house my father and I would never let what happened to Poochy ever happen again. Cinzia lived to be 16 and died of old age. When she died we were heart broken, even my mother, but we were grateful to have her for 16 wonderful years.

When my kids were 4 and 6, my husband surprised us on Valentines Day by going to an animal shelter in the middle of a huge snowstorm and brought home a shepard mix puppy. I still remember her little tail sticking from under my husbands jacket as he walked through the door. My daughter named her Jasmine after the princess in the Disney movie Aladdin. Jasmine was the best dog. She got along great with our four cats, she was always there being happy and cheery when things were good and bad, she was a true and loyal friend and a wonderful part of our family.
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Spike came from the Orange County, CA Animal Shelter. We looked at thousands of animals in at least a hundred rows of cages. The very last row of cages had about 4 dogs in the first few stalls. Then they all seemed empty. I turned to leave, but my husband said, “No, they all derserve to be looked at”. Lo and behold, our beloved Spike was in the last cage of the last row. Spike stayed with us for 15 years. He was a member of the family and it still twists my heart when I think of him.
God Bless You and your attention to people’s losses of any kind. We love the stories .

Joyce from Nevada

Gee, where do I begin! My husband and I have been married 31 years, no children…But we have always had rescued doggies. Yes, it is very sad when they get old and die, but the joy they have given us all these years is can’t be measured. We now have three rescued Dashies Sam, Louis, and Ella. And two Labs Bea and Bailey. And one kitty named Belle.
I recentley had Hip replacment surgery. Two in one years time. Hey, I’m fine…my wonderful doggies were such a comfort through all my recovery. They seemed to know that I wasn’t moving as fast as I once did. Now I can play with all of them, and life is great!
I have your book “Recing Sprite”. I am on page 50. It’s a wonderful book. I am going to buy it for different family members for Christmas.

God Bless You!
We love you!
You have a good heart.
Robin from Texas

We haven’t read your book yet, but are sure it will strike home and raise emotions wildly again. We adopted a throw away dog from my childrens’ elementary school 12 years ago. She was thrown from a passing car, and the principal knew we had promised our kids’ a dog once we had a house.
Thus began a twelve year story of love, devotion, fun, friendship and companionship.
We could only speculate on her heritage, Belgian Sheppard, Labrador, Chow, and maybe something else, but she was the best tempered dog in the world, and quickly became our 3rd child. She stayed behind as the kids grew up, left home and went to college.
Blackberry (named by my youngest child) stayed behind and helped fill the void of disappearing children.
We won’t try to rewrite your book or experiences, but suffice to say that when we faced that dreaded decision, it was the hardest thing we have ever done, in 32 years of marriage. The fact that we had her for most of her life, (she was about 12 weeks when abandoned) did not make the decision any easier or justifiable. It just helped us realize that she looked to us as her family and we knew we did not want her to suffer any longer.
In ending this little note, we would just like to pass along some advice given to us by a veterinarian much more insightful than we were. He told us how lucky people are that dogs only live perhaps 15 plus years, and not longer.
Imagine how hard it would be if their lifespans matched ours.
Heartfelt thanks to you, Mark, for taking the time to put in word what almost all of us have or will experience in our lifetimes.
Keep adopting!!!!!!
Tom & Angie from Washington

I shared 13 years with my best friend Beauregard T Dawg a Basset Hound that I had from a pup. He shared my last few years in the Army till I retired as the Company Mascot, and physical training assistant, (kept the troops running). He was a real active Basset, a runner, loved to play with the troops, and had 135 troops watching out for him daily. He was the assistant 1SGT. After I retired, I became an owner operator truck driver and we shared 7 wonderfull years on the road. Beau was 13 years old in 1998, and it was getting harder and harder for him to live in the truck, but when I left him home he would bay all night missing me, keeping the wife awake till all hours. I actually spent more time with Beau than home with the wife. We again went out on the road and shared the last few weeks. His last day, Nov 3rd 1998 was a normal one, we got up, did our daily walk, he ate, and we traveled on that day doing our thing. We stopped for the night in a rest area along west bound I-70 in Kansas, we had our dinner and we sat out at a picnic table having our nightly conversation, with my coffee in hand we just sat and pondered the universe, as I scratched his head, and he would move my hand back to scratch position with his snout if I stopped. He and I did our nightly walk and talk, and we went to bed for the night. I awoke in the AM, and Beau passed quietly in his sleep that night. I was heartbroken. I sat for awhile, called the wife, and just could not move. I finally took my small e-tool and went to the back of the rest area, I dug, tears flowing. I do not know to this day if it was legal to bury Beau there but he would of wanted to be there out on the road. I placed his favorite blanket lining the hole, placed his bed, and a full food and water dish down, layed Beau down as he would sleep, covered him with my poncho liner, and there he rests, I took his “dogtag”
Dawg,
Beauregard T
and nailed it to a stake and placed it over him. Sat there for the rest of the day unable to drive, the load was going to be late, but I had a differant priority.
I still stop every chance I get, change the dogtag when needed, and just have a cup of coffee and sit there talkin to the Beau, and the tears still come. The saving grace is his grandson again named Beauregard T Dawg JR now shares my adventures on the road. My daughter gave me one of the pups from the liter of Beau’s daughter, and he will as his grandpa did move my hand to scratch position as we drive along the nations highways, bringing a small tear to the corner of my eye. I am in the truck now in Ohio, Beau JR laying at my feet. Wish I had a photo of Beau I could post, but all I have is the one on the dash. I am planning on stopping to get your book asap, and listen to your show daily. I totally understand why you wrote the book, I may sit and write a few memories myself of Beau, I think it would help me also.

John from Nebraska

Hello Mark. With great sadness I heard your story on air as I was driving yesterday. But I share your pain and joy. We too lost a family member that I still mourn to this day. It was 5 years ago. He was Andy, a rescue dog saved from the devastation wrought by hurricane Andrew .(hence the name) He was an angel sent by God the Father. I know it in my heart. You see, I met my future, now stilll loving wife, Marilyn, when he literally jumped up on her as she was moving in near my condo in Reston. Without this feat of affection from him towards her, I very likely would not have met her, nor would we have the 2 beautiful children, Patrick and Faith that we have today. Thank you Andy. Dear God, give him a “good boy” pat from all of us.
Thank you Mark for all your good work, may God bless and comfort you.

Woof woof,
Charles and Marilyn from Virginia