This is a Christmas story that is filled with love, miricles, and the reality of life. Buddy was a Black Lab English Shepard mix who joined our family on Christmas Eve 2004.

My son who was 15yrs old at the time was recoving from a horrible accident that nearly took his life and unfortunately took the life of his 7 yr old sister. He was broken on the inside and out, both mentally and physically. He was learning to walk again and by Christmas eve was just starting to use platform crutches to make his way around. My son still had cast on both arms and on one leg. he was still on blood thinners and required oxygen at night, however, when he was in intensive care the summer before, I promised him that when he was able to walk with crutches I would buy him a puppy to keep him company on those long winter nights. Well, just so happens that day was Christmas Eve.

My eldest daughter and I loaded up Camryn in the car and headed for the grocery store to get some last minute items for Dinner when we first met Buddy. He was in front of the store in a card board box along with about 8 other puppies. We saw the puppies and my son was taken immediately by Buddy’s eyes and the pityful look on his face. He wasn’t jumping around like the others, but sat in the corner of the box looking rather hopeless and scared. I knew immediately that my son related to him because being a former football player and very active teenage boy who had spent the last six months in a hospital bed, the surgeries and dealing with the loss of his baby sister had taken their toll. We didn’t have a lot of money that Christmas because I had to quit my job to stay home with my son until he was better, so the $ 50.00 that they were wanting for Buddy seemed like a lot of money for a dog Read the rest of this entry »

I understand that your daughter is allergic.  So you need to identify what breeds are appropriate.  Then you have three very good options…
1) Put the word out to all of the shelters in the US that you are looking for that breed (not all shelter dogs are mutts).
2) Contact the specific breed rescue organization for the breed you are looking for.
3) Consider fostering the dog (breed specific) of a service man or woman serving our country overseas.  What a great lesson to teach your girls!

Lynn from VA

Dear Mr. Levin, I’d like to share with you and all the fans of the Mark Levin Show a wonderful situation I have at my home. My husband is 75+ years old and handicapped. I bought him a Yorkshire Terrier puppy for his birthday this year. You simply would not believe how much this dear little dog has raised not only my husband’s morale, but the whole feeling in the house. We love this little dog so much. It’s like having 24/7 “pet therapy” here at home.

We hired a very nice dog trainer, who has worked with us and Sona in safety measures, as my husband uses a walker. I want people to know that, with the proper preparation and safety training, it’s very possible for a handicapped person to have and enjoy a dog (I’m not referring to service dogs, just a regular pet).

M.E. from VA

Hi Mark, I have just read your book ‘Rescuing Sprit’ which I bought at the airport on my way to Spain. I waited while I got home to read it. I knew this book would speak to me as I have just lost my beloved dog Lotty, who was 12 years and my two cats who were 15 years old. All passed away within 6 weeks of each other. Your book put into words how I felt and what I went through. Like your Sprite, Lotty was very special to me, I loved her dearly, she was a rescued dog and when I found her she was in a very bad way. Like your vet, mine (who is also named Mark) worked hard to give Lotty a better quality of life and she turned out to be a happy dog, but always ailing and when the end came I hoped she would go in her sleep but I had to make the decision to put her to sleep, the tears fall as i write this bit. Mark the vet came at Friday tea time, Lotty barked at him as she always did, but her legs were very bad, she could hardly walk and I did try to keep her going. I held her in my arms, held her face close to mine and told her I loved her, she was a great dog. I have brought her ashes home where she should be. Through your book I feel I have got to know a part of you, why do our cherished pets have to go so soon, I only pray that I did the best for Lotty as you have done for Sprite. Like you, my heart is broken but your book was a great comfort to me, it helped me realise I was not alone. You are truly a wonderful person, God bless you and all your family and dogs Pepsi and Griffen. I will never forget Lotty and, with your dog Sprite, they will both run and play where the grass is greener and the sun shines and there is no pain.
God bless our dogs.
Love
Janet from The UK
Ps
I have rescued another little dog, his name is Bailey.
God help us it all starts again.

Anyone who has pets will really like this. You\’ll like it even if you don\’t and you may even decide you need one!
Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named \’Lucky.\’ Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky\’s toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky\’s other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease….in fact ,she was just sure it was fatal.
She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her…what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary\’s dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won\’t understand that I didn\’t want to leave him.  The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn\’t even make it up the steps to her bedroom.  Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn\’t come to her when she called.  It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke for a second she couldn\’t understand what was wrong. She couldn\’t move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned!  While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.  He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying.  Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It\’s been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free.  Lucky?
He still steals treasures and  stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

Chip from AZ