The photo(s) are those of my son’s Rhodesian Ridgebacks. The puppy, Kito, is a new addition and is a treasure. Jelani is about two years old now (a 104 pound two year old) and tolerates Kito’s antics.

Stephen from NJ

We are a family of dog lovers. Right now we have five of them. Two English Springer Spaniels, a Labrador mix, a Yorkie, and a teacup Poodle puppy. All our dogs have been rescues from shelters except the Poodle puppy. Each has their own unique and sad story. All are deeply loved by us. No dog more then any of our previous dogs in our thirty years of marriage. However, this is my story of one very special little dog who died this year and left a huge loss in our family.

Ten years ago we adopted “Ally” from a rescue group in California. She was a five-pound teacup Poodle who had been “disposed” of by the previous owners because she was dropped on the floor by someone in the family and had broken her front leg and they did not want to pay to fix the leg. The rescue group took her in and generously fixed her leg. We saw her adorable picture and story on their website and were the lucky family chosen to adopt our little Ally.
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Dear Mark,
I remember three dogs distiinctly in my life. Simba, a German shepard mix, who was poisened at the age of eight months. Igglesby Beauregard Frapadoodle, a beagle-shelty mix, who lost his life to a hit and run driver at just under a year old. And Sam Houston Hound-dog.
Sam was the only puppy of a beagle mix mother and an Irish Setter father. He was born a year after I was. He died peacefully eighteen years later. When my brother told me about it we both cried like children, to us it was as if we had lost a third brother. I would like to have described some of the times we had, but even eighteen years later, as I think about it I can’t help but cry.
God Bless you for all you do to beat back the hordes, and God bless you for your love of animals.

David from Georgia

Growing up, my parents were registered breeders of Toy Poodles, and we enjoyed the companionship of our two dogs, Pepper and Penny. Pepper was my litle buddy. He would fetch frisbees by turning them upside-down with his little nose and carrying them back in his teeth. He would put his front paws together in a praying pose when you picked him up. Whenever he marked his territory on a tree, he would walk on his front paws for several feet to avoid stepping on what he just left behind.

Pepper and Penny were both very sweet dogs, and took care of me as one of their own. My mom taught Pepper to respond to the command “Go find Tim” by running into my room and jumping on my bed to wake me up, which he usually accomplished by licking my ears.

He was such a free spirit. When I was about 13, we had moved to the big city a couple years back, and had tried our hardest to keep our dogs contained in the yard and house, but Pepper got out one day. My dad drove around the neighborhood looking for him, but unfortunately found him dead after losing a fight with a car. Dad wrapped Pepper up in a bag so I wouldn’t have to see or smell him that way, and we buried him in our back yard near the place where he had escaped.

I miss that little dog.

Years later my mom eventually had to put Penny to sleep. I’m going to introduce her to this website so she can write that story herself. Thanks Mark.

Timothy from Texas

Pipes, the cat, was born under my house up on the Tulare/Fresno county line at 2300 ft above sea level. He was your basic marmalade tabby. At 22 lbs, he was a formidable tom. Pipes grew up dodging cayotes and defending his territory against all intruders. He had nicked ears and many trips to vet as proof. At about 16 yrs, we moved down to Solana Beach into an ocean front condo. Pipes walked out on the porch and looked at the ocean. I could just see him thinking “I can do this”. At about 20 yrs, his buddy, Choop, died. Choop was 17. He was buried in the middle of the night in a “forbiden” site with much love and ceremony. So, we got Pipes a companion. A sweet little white female kitten. When he first approached her, she swatted him right in the nose. They soon became best pals. She kept his face clean, and they cuddled all the time. Pipes never got “rickety “…just tired. I miss him so much, and I’m certain Ms Pris does too.

Richard from CA

Mark Levin, I can understand if you don’t want to post this story. It’s not the story anyone wants to hear or one that am I proud of telling. This is the first time I have actually put it in writing.

Whenever I hear Mark Levin talk about Sprite and his dogs or others’ dogs I can’t help but change the station. Not because I don’t like dogs, but because I can’t bare to remember my childhood experience. Growing up I never knew anyone who never had a dog or two.

I don’t have a dog right now and I don’t know when I’ll ever have one again. I’ll play when one here or there but that’s about it.

Here’s my short story:

I was about 16 years old and living on the island of Jamaica. My father and I lived in a duplex (house joined together side by side). Us on one side and our landlord on the other. Our landlord had about 3 dogs. Without hesitation we would give them food from our table and play with them. The landlord welcomed it and had no problem with that until I got a dog of my own.
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