Jenny was my first and only cat. She was just a kitten when my family and I got her, and she was always such a great cat. She always came to you when you were sad, and we lost her about two years ago. She was old, but she will always be sorely missed.

Sanam from NY

We have had 3 dogs and are now on our 4th dog. MAX, TOTO AND SASCHA are gone, we now have a crazy Beagle named Brandi and she gives us great joy and companionship. We have been privileged to experience the unconditional love that these animals bring into our lives; in my opinion they are better than some relatives. But this story is not about any of our dogs, but a neighborhood dog that I grew up with in my hometown of Saratoga Springs, Rex, was a large mutt an All-American with a brown black short coat and the head of a hound. He was owned by the Hames family a drycleaner located a few doors from my house. Rex would lie right across the doorway to the store, customers knew to step over him as they entered, and give him a quick pet.

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Dear Mark,
My dad told me what you went thought with your dog. So he told me to contact you some how and tell you my story of all of my three dogs that died within a year and a half of each other.

My first dog died when I was 11 years old!! She was a Dalmatian her name was Pepper. I got her when I was 4 years old we got her at a local pet shelter. She was my Christmas present. When I was about 10 years old her health started to decline. So my family and I all knew that she was going to die. Then when my family and I went on a trip to Missouri and she had died while we were gone.

The next dog was either lost or killed by coyotes! We found him on a cold day in February along the road! He was about 3 weeks old when we found him. He was a fawn colored Wired Haired Terrier. His name was Tramp because he looked exactly like the dog Tramp off of Disney’s Lady and the Tramp. We had him for about four years then he suddenly he was gone one day and we don’t know what happend.

The next dog that died was my dog Spunky Boy (registered name). He was a tri color Jack Russel Terrier. I got him when I was about 6. We had him for five years. He was an awesome hunting dog he hunted ground hogs, raccoon, muskrat, and many other small critters. Then on terrible day my uncle shot him on for no reason!!!!!!! The uncle has been disowned for my family!!!!!!!!!!! :o Now he has been convicted on a federal offense. I will NEVER forgive!!!

 Samantha from Indiana

We tend to name our dogs for something special. We rescued Annie on our first anniversary hence her name Annie. She was about a year and a half when we found her in a shelter on Long Island. She was cowering in a run when she stole our hearts. I asked about her history and was told that she was taken from a home where the owners tried to make a fighting dog out of her by beating her to the point they cracked her hip. The owners were arrested. She would not fight; it is not a breed trait.

The shelter did not think she was adoptable. We wanted to try. The staff brought Annie, who was still being called “Mauler” in the greeting room where she sat in the farthest corner. I lay down on the floor in the middle of the room and waited. She crawled over after about 20 minutes and sniffed me. She let me touch her after about another 10 minutes. The staff was amazed, for she had never done that before to anyone who was interested in her. We lay on the floor together for another 15 minutes or so before they took her back to her run. We wanted her.
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When I was 5 years old,my parents gave me my first dog.I always enjoyed playing with my dad’s bird dog Angel,but now I had a dog I could call my very own!

He was an Austrailian Sheepdog puppy and I took him everywhere.I named him “Shaggy”.

In my neighborhood,most all of the children I had to play with that were close to my age were girls.I generally got along with the girls very well,but occaisionally the girls would start getting attitudes toward me and clique up.

The girls would start out being snobbish to me and eventually start picking fights with me.Some of these girls were 3 or 4 years older than me and twice my size-they seemed like giants!

Well,one day the girls started there little bullying thing and kicked me off of my swingset.They thought they were real bulldogs.What they didn’t realize was that my little pup had grown up into a big Sheepdog!

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Hi Mark, my name is Max and this is my story. I was only 9 weeks old when I went home with my boy and girl, Paul age 7 and Vicky age 6. I was supposed to be a Boston Terrier but I wound up a mix. I only cost 5 dollars and a lady told my kids that I “sure was ugly”. But they didn’t care, they just loved me that much more. My kids lived in the country so I had lots of room to run and play, to dig holes and bury things. When I was about 6 years old we moved to a different place in the country. There I had squirrels to chase. I even chased a fox once!! With my short legs I didn’t have a chance of catching him, but it sure was great fun. At this place my kids had to walk a half mile to and from the school bus. Every afternoon I would sit in the front yard, look down the road and wait for my kids to come home. When I would see them I would be so happy. I’d run to meet them and safely escort them to the house. I took care of all my family. Once my kids’ mom stepped out of the bard door, turned her ankle and fell. I went and sat close beside her and let her hug me for several minutes before her ankle stopped hurting. Well, my kids graduated ffrom high school, got a job, got married and left home. Guess I was getting old and forgetfull for I would still go and sit in the yard and look down the road, waiting for my kids to come home. Sometimes I’d wait for an hour or two before I’d give up and go to the house.By the middle of my seventeenth year I was sick and getting very feeble. I had arthritis so painful I could hardly walk. My kids’ mom took me to the vet. She held me close to her breaking heart until I peacefully fell asleep.
In memory of Max 1965-1982

Mickey from OR