I just wanted to write that I have finished reading Rescuing Sprite tonight. My husband gave me this book three Christmas’ ago. When I opened the present I said “I can’t read this”! I knew I would cry my eyes out and true to form I cried from the beginning of the book to the end, anticipating the inevitable. It is a very touching and beautiful little book – a tribute really.

I am so pleased to read of someone who feels the same as I do about animals. I read recently that if you love animals you must find out why. I think it must be the need, the innocence the pure love and devotion that comes especially from dogs. I’ve had dogs and cats, a wild bird, fish and hamsters. I currently have three cats, two siblings from a shelter and one stray. I would love to have another dog, it would be my last dog because I will be 65 years old in another week. My children and I had a Lhasa Apso that we adored. Her name was Tashi. She died many years ago and it was heartbreaking.

Thank you so much for caring for Sprite and Pepsi and for welcoming another dog into your life. I wish there were many more people like you.to care for all the lost and neglected animals.

Patricia from NY

Just finished reading Rescuing Sprite. It was a gift given to me after the passing of our Golden Retriever-Champ. Champ died of Hemangiosarcoma on October 16, 2007. I have a huge story to tell. My husband and I raised 5 dogs for a Guide Dog organization. Champ was our first one. He was released due to kennel stress. So other than the 3 months he was away at “college”, he was with us his entire life. All 9 3/4 years. I had Champ certified as a therapy dog and we worked as a team for over 7 years. I used an animal communicator when it came to dealing with Champ and whether or not to treat him after his diagnosis. We had a cruise planned in October and ended up canceling it as I couldn’t go with our dog having cancer. He passed away 3 days after we would have gotten home. We would have lost all that time with him.

We have an 8 3/4 year old yellow lab named Tyler. Tyler has been a tremdous help to me and my husband. We have re-booked our cruise, but now Tyler has had some health problems. Nothing life threatening. He had a slight pancreas problem just a couple of weeks ago and now he is battling Uveitis. I am just sick to my stomach. I don’t feel I am strong enough to deal with all these health problems. I can’t enjoy this up and coming cruise. We are also awaiting the arrival of a new Golden Retriever puppy due in mid-April. I will be training him to be a therapy dog. I also want to write a book about Champ, but have never written a book before. Don’t know where to begin. I have alot more to say. Champ was an incrediable dog. Left a big legacy behind. Bless you Mark for writing this incrediable book about Sprite. It was wonderful!

Melinda from CA

This is a very ironic story. I had been listening to Mark talking about his book on 560 talk and decided to look up this site. I found the form for submitting stories. I had written my story in this comment box and when I realized that I hadn’t seen a security/privacy statement I thought better of submitting the story. But here it is.

Our grandson at age 11 had lost his mother and within a few months we lost our beloved boxer Annie. She was dying of cancer so my husband, our grandson and I took her over to the vet and while he put her to sleep, our grandson had his hand on her side when she quit breathing. For him it gave him a sense of what it was like for his mother to die from her cancer. Now here is the irony. Our other boxer Gabby died from a gran mal seizure this very afternoon from in our 23 year old grandson’s arms. Needless to say we are grieving terribly, but I had to share that story. It was just too strange not to.

Diana from CA

I  have been thinking about Sprite and you and would lkie you to know something that will perhaps lift off the sadness and remorse that you have since losing Sprite. What a beautiful kind face Spite had. I’ve had my pets and lost some. But in most circumstances it was vets that have made their errors. A vet had given my three year old Teddy bear too any shots for dis-temper in which he died in three days from the damage it did to him.

I have since then been reluctant to take any of my pets to vets. Just recently our dog Gus a fourteen year old Siberian husky had a large tumor growing on the side of his stomach, When I took him to a vet, the first thing this vet wanted to do was to put him down. “No,’ I said, “I will wait and see what I can do first.” After taking Gus home I had remembered how an old farmer had told me to take a rubber band and tie it tight around the tumor so blood could not flow through it, and in a few days the tumor would fall off. This is the size of a large rubber ball. Well, I just did that- tied it up with the rubber band and put a shirt on Gus so he couldn’t lick it. I watched it as it started to separate and kept spraying it with an antiseptic. Well the tumor fell off after about 5 days. It left a large open sore. I sprayed it with the antiseptic daily and to make a long story short it healed over with smooth healthy skin. Gus is still with us, He’s now 15 years old and in great health. I think vets are too eager to put animals down. And then if they do talk people into it, it only leaves the owner of their beloved pet with nothing but grief and guilt.

I want you to know that it was not your fault that this happened, but the vet should of allowed Sprite to live or die in Gods hand naturally. Vets do this to pet owners more than you know by talking them into putting their pet down. When perhaps there may be a chance that sometimes they can survive. Like me, you are for Life Not death, and now you have your other dogs, who love you too , but I think in your own mind that you will let them go naturally next time and not some vet giving them a lethal injection. I found their are antibiotics I can and do give my dogs and cats when needed,. When you do everything you can to keep them alive, because that is what you wanted for your Sprite, you may come to realize that if any of your pets gets sick you will try to restore their health, but you Never again will let a Vet talk you into eliminating its life, but instead will let him live as long as the good Lord is willing.

C.L. from VA

Saturday, January 9, 1993 was a very sad time for me personally and for my son and daughter and husband as well. Scrubby our faithful pal for almost 18 years died today.

His life in the past year was not a healthy one. He was suffering with a large tumor that had started somewhere in the vicinity of his left ear and had spread to eventually misshape his head.

I don’t know if I did the right thing by letting him remain like that. I often times thought that I should have had that taken care of. Agonizing a decision as it was, I felt he was a very old dog and I would rather him live out his days at home.
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