Hi, I lost my 17 year old cocker spaniel Max to cancer last year. I have a 6 year old shepherd/collie cross named Bear also, a certified therapy dog and a Reading Education Assistance Dog. Mr. Bear was as deeply grieved as anyone in the family at losing Max. Having to put Max to sleep was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

– Mary from NE

I lost my beloved father recently, and I have been flooded with many beautiful memories. In 1972 my parents bought me a sweet miniature poodle we named Beau. He became our baby. During the blackout of 1977, my dad was downstairs walking him. We lived in an apartment and of course the elevators weren’t working. My father carried Beau in his arms up five flights of stairs. I hope my precious dad and little Beau are reunited in heaven.

– Michelle from NY

I HAVE 4 DOGS A, CRIPPLED ROTTWIELER ,A HEALTHY ROTT 1 YR OLD.
AN ABONDED PUP (NOW 5) BROUGHT TO ME BY A STUDENT OF MINE ( I’M A RETIRED TEACHER)
AND A MIN PINCER 11 YRS. OLD WHO WE GOT WHEN A FAMILY MEMBER MOVED FROM ARIZONA.

DOGS MAKE YOU MORE HUMAN. EACH OF THEM IS LIKE A CHILD IN THEIR OWN WAY. THEY ARE THE SOURCE OF ENDLESS HOURS OF HAPPY.

– Ed from MD

Thank you for your compassionate, beautiful site. The best part of my day is listening to Mark with my three wonderful foundings.

-Nell from MD

Hazel was a wonderful Airedale. She came to our house when her breeders were unable to sell her. As a puppy she immediately received the love of two children age 15 and 17. She returned that love to the whole family never failing to enthusiastically greet the children coming home from school, father returning from a business trip or mother bringing in the groceries. Her gentle nature however did not restrain or hinder her duty to guard her family.

One night around 2AM she barked viciously waking everyone, alerting all to a stranger trying to get into her house. It was the police that finally ended the affair but it was Hazel who provided the warning to restrain the intruder. Her gentle nature however was her supreme characteristic. Typical was the day dad was mowing the lawn; the grass was thick and high. Hazel ever diligent ran ahead of the belching mower always at a respectable distance. Suddenly she stopped, lowered her large mouth into the grass and dashed toward the moving mower.

Immediately father stopped the mower and approached the Airedale. In her mouth she gently held an injured bird and when she knew full attention was directed to her she gently placed the bird at the feet of her master. She had saved a life, for the bird was put into a box safe from predators to fly away after a day of recuperation. In her last years Hazel although not so nimble or spry, the years had begun to take their toll. Yet sister had married and given birth to the parent’s first grandchild. As a working mother and full time professor at a major university baby care was a necessity. So each morning when mother went off to train future engineers she deposited the sleeping infant in a crib.

It was usually around 6AM that the little sleeping package was delivered. Hazel would then awake, leave the dog bed in her master’s room and place herself next to the crib with it’s sleeping infant. Once the baby began to stir Hazel with her large head would gaze upon the little life. Once the crying began singling a desire for a bottle, Hazel as if duty bound awoke the sleeping grandparents to their duty. She was a beautiful, devoted, gentle and faithful friend to three generations of the family.

– Albert from NJ

I and my family also adopted a dog before he has sent back to an unknown fate.

My wife and myself have always had animals as we grew up,however I’d never had my own dog until I was 31 years old. Long story short, when we meet, she had a Labrador and the idea came to me that two coupleswould be a good idea. WE picked out a Chocolate Lab puppy from a friend as a date and took him home a couple weeks after that.He was named Chuck (a combination of Chelsy and Buck, his parents name). Before we moved to Florida we hade 3 Labs and 3 cats.
Fast forward to 2004. As will happen with all animals, a time comes where the end has to be dealt with. This is not easy nor pleasant because we all know that a dog’s mind is still sharp while their body deteriorates to a point of no return. It is a quality of life issue that has to be addressed however Painfull and Tearfull.

The two of us came to the point that we knew it was time to make Chuck more comfortable. This was especially hard for me (he was my First dog).

I carried Chuck into the Vet. in my arms that day We had called ahead to make sure the office would have as few people around as poosible because we knew tears would be flowing, they were. When we entered the office there was a Sheriffs K-9 deputy in the waiting room. We continued on to the exam room and the final good bye was performed.

We left through a side door to our car a cried some more. As we stood there the Deputy came up and talked to us and related that he understood our pain and said he too had tears when he saw us come through the door with Chuck. After we became composed a bit, he mentioned a dog would be available for adoption when the time was right.

Every night from that point on I noticed a message on the Vets.billboard about a Lab for adoption as I went home home. After a month I stopped and asked to see the Lab. I was taken back to the kennel to see him. He was about 2 years old and could have been Chuck’s brother! I called my wife and daughter and asked them to stop by on their way home to see Dropper?(Deputy/Trooper combination name). He was a Belgian breed Lab that failed out of bomb/drug training and was on his way back to the supplier but was saved by the Deputy’s wife who worked for our Vet (the same Deputy who had talked with us when we took Chuck in). The girls(wife/daughter) fell in love as I did and I picked him up the next day.

I took him to my fire training right after I picked him up to see how he would react to to the noise of 2 engines and lots of new people to make sure he was OK with people and such,TROOPER at this point(not Drooper) was not phased at all. He was very friendly and not rattled then and has never been since, even during our two hurricanes. He has turned out to be the THE most mellow, loving bigger dog a Family with frequent child visitors could hope for for.

– Kent from FL