I received your book yesterday and read it last night with my beloved Emily sleeping up against me. My eyes are still swollen. Thanks for putting into words what we dog lovers think all the time. Our Emily was found as a puppy in NYC 13 years ago by my daughter. She had some health problems including mange. This was not a great time to be bringing another dog into the house as “Arnold”, my lab mix was dying of cancer and we were in the process of potty training our 2 years old son! Of course my daughter would not bring Emily to a decent shelter as we told her. Well, 13 years later, she is still here and has brought so much joy to us all. All dogs have something special about them, and in the case of Emily, she has a fondness for shoes.

Not for destruction , but to greet each person who comes into the house, whether it be a family member of friend with a specially selected piece of footwear, be it a shoe, boot or slipper.. She’ll grab one and and circle that person like a shark while trying to say, “Look what I have, I want to share it with you!” Emily now has a couple of age related health issues including arthritis in her hips (the injections of adaquan from our vet every five weeks works wonders) and Cushings Disease .I know that we will be facing those dreaded decisions shortly. My son has said to me, “Mom, I don’t know if I ever want another dog after Emily is gone, I don’t want to go through that (anticipated) grief again”. I tell him to think of two scales, one has sorrow on it, the other, Joy. Which one is heavier….

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In April 1993, I flew from Dallas to Albuquerque to visit my grief stricken little mother. She just couldn’t seem to recover from the death of my Dad after ten years of battling cancer. They were married for 60 years. Her health was declining and she could barely get out of her chair to go to the bathroom. Dee Dee (her grandmother name) looked at me and said “Janet, I just have to get something to take care of! Within ten minutes we were in the car headed for the animal shelter that was about 15 miles away.
We began walking the very long corridor with cages on both sides and dogs of all kinds vying for our attention. We got to the end and started back and Dee Dee said “I just can’t seem to find the dog for me.” We got clear back to the very first cage and she said “Oh look. I didn’t see that one.” There in the corner sat a tiny little black and white poodle-terrier mix, shaking like a leaf and looking scared to death. Dee Dee took this little dog to the “get acquainted” area outside and held her on her lap and hugged her for well over half an hour. She finally said “I like this one!”
During the next two hours we adopted “Sugar” with the promise that we would have her spayed when she was old enough. Dee Dee held Sugar all the way home.
When we got back to the house I told my Mom that I had better go get a little bed and a few supplies. I got back home, opened the door and there was my little mother lying on the living room floor and cradling her new little dog. Dee Dee rescued Sugar – but Sugar saved Dee Dee’s life!
My little Mother died on July 1, 2002. My husband and I inherited Sugar. What a precious little dog she has been. She is now over 14 and a half years old. She is doing well, is very happy and is extremely devoted to us. We dread the day that we won’t have her anymore but enjoy every single minute that she is with us now
Thank you Mark for bringing out the best in people who love their pets just like you love yours!

Janet from Colorado

I have been a animal lover since I can remember, and although I have many stories about rescue’s, one in particular I’d like to share with you. Shauna was her name, an Alaskan Malamute, silver and white with brown eyes. Looked very much like a timber wolf. She weighed in at 135 pounds. This dog was so mistreated she put 75 stitches in the neighbor where she came from, he thought it was fun to spray her with the garden hose. The kids in the neighborhood threw rocks and poked her through the fence with sticks. When I got her, I wasn’t to sure even about my safety. She had a mistrust for kids like I had never seen before, violently snapping and barking when kids came over or walked by my yard. I installed a 6 foot high privacy fence, not to just protect her, but to protect others in case she got loose. That wasn’t the friend I had to put to sleep years later, the friend I put down loved kids and loved me. My friends all marveled how wonderful Shauna had become and how much they liked petting her and being around her. How did she change? I earned her trust and yet I was her master. My room mates would always know when I was on my way home at all hours of the day or night, cause she would start to howl and prance around, she had a sixth sense. The best friend a guy could ever want, she was it. Trusting, devoted and yet smart. I had a Ham radio in those day’s, you know, a fancy ham radio that the other guys would drool over, with a hands free type feature, where you could just talk at the microphone and it would transmit. Anyway, Shauna had buddies all over the country she would say hello to.

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The love of my life was a black Cockapoo named Susie. She came to live with me at the age of 6 weeks. We were “joined at the hip” for 15 years of wonderful. I called her a “latchkey” dog as I was single and worked every day. She would be waiting every evening at the door to say “Hi, Mom, I’m glad you’re home”. at the age of 15 she was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her gums which was inoperable. I asked the vet if I could wait over the weekend to bring her back. He said “yes”. What a weekend Susie had! I cooked chicken breast and rice, all the ice cream she could hold and lots of loving, hugging and kissing. I took her back on Monday and stayed right beside her telling her how much she was loved until she was gone. She has a beautiful grave at Toothacres Cemetery which I visit often and decorate for every holiday. She passed away 7 years ago and I now have a beautiful Bichon Frise named Simone. I love her very mucy but there will never be another Susie! My heart breaks for you and your family as I know exactly how you feel. I have walked in your shoes. God bless.

Jean from TX

I’d like to share my story about my beloved pets who had to be put to sleep.From the time I was born,in 1979,my family always was a family of ‘cat people’, as we always had cats for pets.These cats were regarded so much as members of our family that we gave them human names,like Andrew, Teddy,and Samantha,but the last one we had to put to sleep was a black cat we named Debbie.Debbie or Deborah,was born in the same liter as her brother Teddy,or Theodore,and Samantha.My father brought them home in the summer of 1988.The fourth cat,we named Andrew, came later,in 1995.

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In August of 1991 I sustained a traumatic brain injury in an auto accident.
I lived alone and had many fears,saddness, etc. Someone suggested I get a dog since I was vunerable and truthfully I was taken advantage of by people who claimed to be my friends
I called the Humane Society and tearfully told them my situation and explained I had been unable to work since my injury and had no money.

They told me and that there would be no charge because they did not want her put to sleep.
When I picked up Deva I thought she was so ugly that she was beautiful.
Deva was my constant companion. The first night I had her some “friends” came to the house and tried to come in. Deva ran to the front window and barked viciously. These people never came back. Later I heard that word had gotten around I had a vicious pit bull.
Actually Deva looked like a pit bull but she was a lab mix (probably with pit).

Deva would lie with me and knew everything about me. I was labile and she would always do what I needed her to do to help me. I tended to fall alot since although I had learned to walk again I was still unstable. She would guide me or help me after I fell.
Deva sensed people and kept me safe.
She died with cancer December 29, 2006 at age 17. I still cry and miss her so. She was so beautiful to me.
She was my Deva kind, loving, caring and devoted.
She loved people and taught me so much about “just being there”, people, love, and giving. I had to write this to help me continue my grieving process. I still look for a Deva look alike.

Philomena  from OR