Hi Mark,

I listen to your show and love your zeal for our country, but today, I have a totally different topic: We had to put our dear cockapoo (Harley) to sleep Monday. We’re as you can imagine, broken hearted. We adopted Harley 5 yrs. ago. The group listed him as 2-1/2 yrs. old, however, our vet guessed that we was closer to 10. He was fine for a couple of years, but then he developed heart disease, lost his vision, and was suffering. It was such a difficult decision, but he just wasn’t going to get better, God bless the folks at Americas Animal Clinic. I think this was as rough on them as for us. We’re still expecting him to come walking around the corner to see what we’re up to. It sure hurts. I know you have had the same experience, and alot of others as well. There is nothing like man’s best friend. The unconditional love and patience. We wished we couldv’e had more time with Harley, but we find some solace in knowing that we have him a wonderful life and alot of love those years he blessed us with his presence.

Thanks for letting me share this .

Linda from TX

Dear Mr Levine,

I recently read your book and was touched very deeply by the stories of your dogs Sprite and Pepsi. I am a fellow dog lover and what I found out very quickly in my adult life is that people who do not share love and passion for animals (particularly dogs) do not understand… you can talk and talk but unless they have experienced the love of a dog they don’t get it. I compare it to a first time mother experiencing raising a baby for the first time. She fiends for other new mothers to relate to… and the book you wrote is reaching out to people like me, who love their dog as if they were part of the family, irreplaceable.

My fiance Keir and I adopted an 8 week old husky 2 years ago. We have had Wilson for the same amount of time you had Sprite. 2 years in words does not seem like a long time but I understand when you talk about the bond you had with sprite because I share that bond with my dog. Wilson is his two years of life has managed to make Keir and I a family. When Keir first decided to get Wilson, him and I were unsure of where our future was going. Wilson grounded us, he made us a family, Wilson was our missing link. I say this now with certainty because as I write this I stare down at the diamond ring on my finger, a commitment I am not sure Keir was capable of before Wilson. I am not even sure I can explain to you what happened to Keir when Wilson came along but it changed him… it changed us…. it changed everything…

Your writing about Sprite reminded me so much of our Wilson particularly when you described Sprite turning towards the breeze on a windy day, taking in every smell and scent that reaches his nose, simply taking in life. Wilson is so much the same. Keir and I find ourselves smiling just looking at Wilson as he falls asleep sitting up or is trotting around our yard smiling – he is our pride and joy. I don’t share this with a lot of people because most people can not begin to understand, but you get it. I have come to realize that if we all take some time to live our lives with the philosophies our pets do, we would grow old very happy people just enjoying the simple things, like fresh green grass, sunny days and chirping birds.

I smiled through the first half of your book and sobbed through the second half. I find myself kissing my dog more everyday (if that is possible) and appreciating every moment of him even more. I can only hope Wilson will die many years from now from old age but I do find myself sometimes thinking about what would happen if he should suffer from an untimely death and it literally takes away my breath. I guess only time will tell but I imagine I will revisit your book often as Wilson grows and will find comfort in your words when Wilson’s final days do come.

Thank you for taking the time to honor the importance of pets to their owners and thank you for giving back to our community by taking in dog’s like Sprite… There is a lot to be said for people who rescue dog’s from shelters.

Best wishes to your family and god bless Sprite

Adrienne from MA

I don’t know if this is the kind of story you’re looking for. I started and completed your book today, during jury duty. Of course I had to put the book away when I entered the court room, but I picked it back up and finished it on the drive home. (I only read at stop lights!) My husband John does a radio talk show on WBT weeknights from 6 to 9pm. The similarities between the two of you (as dog lovers) are uncanny. As some say, you’re like two peas in a pod. We have two dogs, both Westies, who we consider our children. We’ve had Nutmeg and Clapton since they were puppies; they’re now 7 and 5 years old. Right now (as I’m keying), Nutmeg is lying at my feet and Clapton’s passed out asleep, flat on his back and belly up, on the bed next to me. I cook for them every night, a vet- approved meal we refer to as “the chicken dinner”. As things are around here, John and I exist to serve these dogs. After all, we live in their world. It’s not the other way around. OK, after all this, I really wrote to thank you for providing some insight on the end-of-life issues. We used to have cats and did all the same things you did when their time came, with the vet who came to the house and cremation. I even custom-ordered small memorial markers which now sit at the base of a Japanese Maple tree in our front yard. Thanks again for sharing your story!

Susan from NC

This story, unlike most here has a happy ending. It is about my cat, Sharkey. He is one of 3 cats, the other two are close to my wife. Sharkey is the only one that is at all close to me. Some months back my wife, Candy noticed that he was drinking a lot of water, which of course meant a lot of extra urine in the litterbox. I took him to the vet and found out that he was diabetic. We started him on insulin, giving him a shot with 3 units each morning and evening. He seemed to be doing well, then in January I injured my leg and was out of action for a month or so. One Saturday morning he vomited before his breakfast. I thought that was odd, how could he have food in his stomach after 12 hours? I gave him his shot and fed him, but for the first time in his life he wasn’t hungry. I finally coaxed him into eating a little. All weekend he wouldn’t eat, so I didn’t give him any insulin, fearing that he might go into a diabetic coma.
Monday morning I took him to the vet and he had bad news for me. Sharkey’s sugar was VERY high, he was dehydrated and worst of all, he had a lot of ketones in his blood. This was very dangerous. Without critical care around the clock care he probably wouldn’t survive. The place that does that charges about $200 per day and it would take 2 or 3 days to restore his blood sugar, ketones and electrolytes to normal.It was a very difficult process, using a short acting insulin and several blood tests per day to monitor his progress.

Having been without a paycheck, there was no way that I could afford that. The vet said I should consult with my family about putting him down.
The vet suggested giving him fluids under his skin and trying to see how he did at home, but didn’t give much hope that it would work.
I took him home and started giving him 4.5 units of insulin. His appetite returned as soon as we got home. The next day I took him back in and while his blood sugar was still very high, the ketones were down significantly. He gave Sharkey more fluids and we adjusted his insulin up a little more.
Well, he is doing much better now,the ketones are gone and his sugar is returning to normal. I’m SO happy that I didn’t give up on him and that Sharkey didn’t give up on life.
The photo is Sharkey cleaning Haley’s ear.

Darwin from IN

Dear Mark,
We had to put our wonderful dog,Mocha, to sleep last night. She was such a friend to us. We had her for 16 great years.
We read your book two months ago, and were so touched. Our hearts are breaking right now, but I hope with time the deep aching will go away. Mocha will always be in our hearts. My girls are devasted, they grew up with her.
Thank you for your inspiring story about Sprite.

Sue from MI

Thank you for introducing us to Pepsi and Sprite. I’ve been owned by many dogs and cats. I know you pain because i’ve had to put mine down. Wondering if I done the right thing. Thank you for letting me love your pooches and grieve with you over Sprite. I believe we will all meet again in a better place and with each thought and memory Sprite will live on for years. Thank you again for your book and letting us share your “all” of your family.

Autumn from NJ