I slept in the lazyboy the last two weeks of his life. He liked to raise his head and see me there , it comforted him. The least I could do for the love of my life, my Zac, a 15 year old Dingo-Heeler.

The first time we met , Zac was only about 3 hours old. I hated crawling under that family\’s house up on cinder blocks. It was dark, wet, cobwebs everywhere. I crawled in mud, all the way to the center. The mother dog was nursing her babies like every proud mama. I never knew how they got a full bloodied Dingo dog here in the states but she was, they had papers to prove it. I shined my light over to a mud puddle when I heard a whimper. There he was, a shivering white mess, caked with mud. I immediately crawled to him and picked him up without even looking at the other pups. I gently carried him because the owners yelled up under there that I should let nature take it\’s course , that the mother had dropped him giving birth and had damaged his hips. She was going to let him starve to death, it was instinct. How could I have left him? How would I have slept? After much protest I got in my car and put him on my lap. One of his eyes was opened, don\’t know what happened there. I named him \”Zak\” immediately because it means \”God has remembered\”. I stopped at the grocery store , not knowing what to do or how to feed a newborn. So I did what I knew to do with my own daughter. Bought a baby bottle and baby formula. It was late. I washed him in warm water, handling him as gingerly as I could. The next day at the vet\’s office the news was grim. Zak had fractured hips, Parvo, heart worms. He said that even if he lived through those diseases , he would be crippled and never walk. Other than God, I don\’t know what drove me , I just did not listen. I could not look into those blue eyes and end his life when Zak was so determined to live on love alone. I poured my whole paychecks into this puppy. Arsenic for the heart worms, IV for the Parvo , around the clock, that I administered myself. I moved my mattress onto the floor and gave Zak his own pillow. He slept well next to me and I did not want him to feel distant. And even though tears are welling up in my eyes right now, I have to say that even though his eyes were not all the way opened he crawled, dragging his legs to hit the paper when he had to potty. He wanted to please his new mom so much. The baby formula was too strong so I and the vet created our own. The doctor got attached to Zak along with everyone that he met. He never had the chance to go through that puppy stage, frolicking , playing. He was an old soul in a puppy body. He just seem to touch everyone he met. Read the rest of this entry »

JIMMY was the love of my life. I got him at the Newark Humane center. He was 6 months. He was part chow/part golden retrevier. He was a gentle old sole. He was almost human. We went thru 9/11 together, my fiancee getting in the swiss air crash and battling with breast cancer. He was always there for me at my side. He was such a unique dog. There never will be another Jimmy. I only believe in adopting dogs. He was the best thing that ever happened to me. He died at 9 yrs old. I was devasted that i had to put him to sleep. He will also be that special dog for me. I now have an adopted shelter dog named Lola. She is a love and I know i gave her a 2nd chance in life. it’s a wonderful feeling. I intend to do volunteer work at a shelter as i just love dogs. Dogs spelled backwards is GOD. And as mark Twain so brilliantly “the more i am around people, the more i like my dogs”.

Lynn from SC

Mark,
First want to say that you are a shining beacon for hope for our country.  Every time that I get low moments I think about some of your famous quotes.  \”People afraid of the government is Tyranny, but government afraid of the people is liberty.  Never a truer word spoken.
And as your love and compassion for pets, well. . . . .I always taught my daughter you can always judge a mans character and heart by how he treats animals.  Your love and compassion for Sprite answers the question of your character and heart.

I hope that you enjoy this alliteration that I wrote for my last three Old English Sheepdogs.
This is the best possible way that I can describe the love that I have for my dogs.

My Best Friends
Dudley the cudley cute comical canine
Romps, races, and runs in a line.
Affectionate angelic adorable Ashley,
Walks, Waddles, & wiggles to see.
Baboo the bouncing baby of them all
So Shy, sweet, and so very tall.
Lovable, loyal, lapdogs to me.
Furry faithful friends they will always be.
Abby and Ashley pictured here.  Ashley has the one black eye and Abby has the white face.  We lost Ashley November 3, 2007 at the age of 14.  We miss her, but her memory and love remains in our hearts forever.
God Bless you Mark and keep up the good work.  Just finished Liberty and Tyranny.  FABULOUS and MOTIVATIONAL.  Thanks.

Maureen from AZ

I have just read rescuing Sprite. It was wonderful., all dog llovers will relate to it. Rescuing a dog is the most rewarding thing you can do, when the end comes as it must we can only do the best for them. That is what Mark Levin did. It is the hardest thing a person can ever do and it never gets any easier, I have rescued all my life indeed I work voluntarily for a cat/dog home.

Working with these animals is the most rewarding thing I have ever done, although at times it can be sad. I love my dogs,currently I have three, they are my life. Sprite was and shall always remain special, there is always one that is. I lost my collie X (picture enclosed – I think!!!) and whilst I love all my dogs with a passion she will remain ‘my dog’. Her passing has been terrible.

I have recently been diiagnosed with a condition that is untreatable and is similar to that of Sprite. He didn’t have to suffer and his dignity was not taken from him. I have to wait, never knowing what this condition will attack next. The only thing that keeps me going is my dogs and the unconditional love they bring.
Don’t feel bad about Sprite you helped him.

Carol from the UK