Your wife has ovarain cancer are terrifying words to hear. The first words Sydney said after I gave her the news was to ask me to bring a picture of our dogs to the hospital. Mishka was the leader and she was our strength through the 3 surgeries and over 40 chemos that have followed.
Mishka would face a battle with liver cancer in early 2008 and she died in our arms on Easter Sunday. We were fortunate that she remained functional until the very hour of her death and her bravery and strength in her final days were a lesson that all humans can learn.
Jerry from TX
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My passion in life is training border collies in herding sheep. My dogs and I compete in herding competitions throughout the Eastern US. These dogs have become my partners. We spend countless hours working and learning with each other, I striving to do better, they to do their innate life’s work.
This hobby has been so rewarding. I have met people from all walks of life, traveled to many beautiful rural areas, changed my lifestyle completely, and have even visited the homeland of the border collie, Scotland. I now have friends throughout Great Britain, some who are the greatest border collie trainers in the world.
This past weekend, the first border collie I ever trained, Rock, was put to sleep. It was a terrible decision to make. Rock at 15, had become partially blind, hard of hearing, and suffered from arthritis in his rear legs where he couldn’t raise himself up. For three months I helped him stand up, so he could walk out to relieve himself. Finally, even though he was on a great deal of pain killers, the pain had become so bad that he would growl and show his teeth when I tried to help him up. I knew it was time.
Two days before taking him to the vet, I put Rock in a fenced area with five sheep. I watched as he went to work, half running on rickety legs, his heart taking over his mind, as he brought me the sheep. It was his last work. Watching him I realized why I am so passionate about these dogs. I miss Rock.
I fully understand how Mark could write a whole book on his pal, Sprite.
Barry from GA
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I was never a dog lover–never wanted one, never liked any dogs and truly was afraid of most dogs since age five when I was bit by one. Years later, in my forties, a dog showed up at our house early one morning. Not knowing where this dog was from , I was reluctant to touch it or have anything to do it. My wife, Theresa, an animal lover, called around to our neighbors but nobody knew anything about this stray. She put the dog in her car and drove it to some other neighbors but again, nobody knew anything. There was no identification, no tag, no phone number on this dog.
We decided to get some food and water, let the dog stay in our garage away from a burning sun and went off to work. I do not know what this dog did for the ten hours I was away, but I will never forget the look in his eyes when I left him that morning. I knew he would be there and I knew he was staying with us. I did get home later than usual for a Friday, and he came running to me. I was a little uneasy with him, but fortunately a dog officer showed up and we collared him. He taught me to handle the dog and in a few minutes I was walking him around my property. Shortly thereafter my wife arrived home and we knew we had a new family member.
We introduced him to our cats who greeted him suspiciously at first but then grudgingly accepted him. He never threatened them in any way. Unsure of what we had, I did bring him to vet who determined he was most likely a lab/pit bull mix mayber 3-4 yrs old. My wife began taking him to work with her as she did not want him alone with her cats. Soon she decided on the name “Shadow” and he has been just awesome. My wish is that I could work from home and be with him all day. He is a great friend.
Michael from NY
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Hey Mark and everyone else. My heart is broken today. I had to put down my 13 year old daschund today. I had him for the last 4 or 5 yrs. I think he may have had a brain tumor because for the last few months he wandered aimlessly around the kitchen and constantly got stuck (mentally) in tight places like next to the toilet or the fridge.
I got Max to take the place of the baby brother or sister my daughter wanted. He slept with me every night. In his final minutes Max licked my tears and he died with them on his nose. I will miss him and think of him forever.
Shannon from CT
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DEAR MR. LEVIN,
HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DOING? MY HUSBAND TIM, I\’M KAREN, BOUGHT YOUR BOOK RESCUING SPRITE. TIM HAS ALREADY READ IT, I HAVE TWO CHAPTERS LEFT. YOU MADE A COMMENT IN YOUR BOOK WHEN YOU WERE TALKING TO RUSH. YOU SAID \”WELL, NOBODY WOULD WANT TO READ ABOUT MY DOG\”. YOUR BOOK IS WONDERFUL. AS YOU READ IT YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH SPRITE AND PEPSI.
WHEN I WAS 6 I WAS ADOPTED AND THEY HAD A MINI DACHSUND, HER NAME WAS PRETZEL. BEFORE THEY GOT ME THEY HAD PRETZEL 1 AND PRETZEL 2, PRETZEL 1 DIED. WHEN I WAS 12 PRETZEL 2 DIED, MY DAD ACCIDENTLY HIT HIM WITH THE CAR. I DID NOTHING BUT CRY IT HIT ME SO HARD. THEN FOR CHRISTMAS MOM AND DAD LEFT TO GO SOME WHERE AND WHEN THEY CAME HOME DAD HAD A LUMP UNDER HIS COAT. WHEN HE UNDID HIS COAT A LITTLE BROWN HEAD POPED OUT. HE WAS ADORABLE AND HE BECAME PRETZEL THE THIRD.
I LOVED MY PRETZEL\’S AND I STILL REMEMBER THE WONDERFUL TIMES I HAD WITH THEM. TIM AND I GOT MARRIED IN 1999 AND I TOLD HIM BEFORE I GET OLD AND GRAY I WANTED MY OWN MINI DACHSUND AND I WANT TO NAME HIM PRETZEL. WE HAVE A COLLIE ANDY, AGE 9, HE\’S GETTING OLD AND SLOWING DOWN, AND WE ALSO HAVE TWO MINI DACHSUNDS PRETZEL THE FOURTH AND CHIPS. TIM SURPRISED ME WITH BOTH DACHSUNDS. THE FIRST TIME HE TOOK ME FOR A RIDE AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED AT A LADY\’S HOUSE. SHE CAME OUT WALKING TOWARD US CARRYING PRETZEL. TIM HAD BEEN TALKING TO HER AND ASKED HER TO CALL HIM PRETZEL SO HE WOULD KNOW HIS NAME. I CRYED SO HARD. THEN A YEAR LATER TIM CAME HOME WITH CHIPS. PRETZEL IS LAID BACK AND CHIPS IS OUR MISCHIEVIOUS ONE AND ALL THREE ARE A JOY. ANDY, PRETZEL AND CHIPS ARE VERY SPOILED BUT WE FEEL THEY NEED TO BE SPOILED MORE.
OUR KIDS ARE GROWN, FAMILYS OF THEIR OWN AND ANDY, PRETZEL AND CHIPS ARE OUR BABIES. THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONALITIES. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR LIFE ABOUT SPRITE AND PEPSI. TIM AND I REALLY ENJOY THE BOOK. BOTH OF US HAD TO HAVE TISSUES. PRETZEL JUST CAME IN COMPUTER ROOM AND IS IN MY LAP. THANK YOU AGAIN AND TAKE CARE, AND GOD BLESS.
TIM AND KAREN FROM MI
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Our beloved 13 year old retriever mix shelter rescue dog JT passed away last Oct 11. He was mellow, loving and spoiled. He never left our side and went everywhere with us. He even slept under our daughter’s crib. He had cancer at 10 years old. We treated it successfully and he had 2 1/2 good years after. But then his body started to give out and we knew the end was near. We said a tearful good-bye in the vet’s office, He looked at us and then closed his eyes and went peacefully.
Our daughter now calls him her angel in heaven and prays to him. He was our “buddy” and we miss him terribly. We love you JT, till we all meet again someday. Be happy in heaven.
Love always Mom, Dad & Allie in NY
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