During our lab, Angel’s last minutes , i was holding her; her breathing was more labored, but just before she took her last breath, she reached her head up high toward the sky, took in the final breath, and her head fell to my lap and she was gone, our dear angel of l5 years ., but like all of our other pets, she will live in our hearts forever. her cremated remains are buried under our willow tree decorated with a cross and rosary at the burial site.

Dixie from FL

A year ago on Feb. 2, 2007 our 8 year old Beagle named Buddy died in my arms. He lived only 2 weeks after we found out he had tumors in his lungs, on his heart and around his trachea and esophagus. After he was gone the vet said she could feel that his abdomen was full of tumors, also. I guess I should have let her put him to sleep the day she showed me the X-Rays. But I couldn’t and she never even suggested it saying that Buddy would let us know when he was ready to go such as by stopping eating completely. He really went downhill fast afterward. Sometimes he’d eat and sometimes he wouldn’t for a whole day and if you know Beagles, they love to eat. You see, he had always been such a gobbler even stealing our other dog’s food and we thought he was overweight as a result. Of course, it wasn’t fat. Tumors were growing everywhere inside of him. I have felt so guilty for thinking he was fat. Anyway, he still wagged his tale and would lay his head in my lap to be petted. But he got to the point that he couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep at night and would keep changing positions and move around the room trying to find a more comfortable spot. He also had a couple of times when he had a really hard time breathing and one night I was afraid that he might die while we were asleep so I slept on the floor beside him because i didn’t want him to die alone. But he kept hanging on. And, youu know, Mark when I think back now i know he hung on for me because he knew I wasn’t ready to let him go. But eventually he couldn’t hang on for me anymore. He had gotten to where he coudn’t come up the front porch steps after doing his business. I had to help him up the step slowly one at a time because it hurt because the tumors were around his hips, too. That was the day I KNEW. Read the rest of this entry »

I have a german shephard lab mix shelter dog that was abandoned along with her sister on the side of the road. She was a christmas gift, and she has become the most wonderful gift I have ever received. I enjoy each day with her and cherish every moment. Keep fighting the good fight, and take care.

Ed from OR

Tank was my 3rd child in everyway, he just had 4 legs.
Tank was the English Bull Dog I had always wanted, but so much more. He came to us when our 2 chilldren were in high school and were trying ween away from Mom.
I will never be able to explain the bond I had with Tank, I felt like every word I said he understood and it seemed I knew his every thought.
One day I came home from Saturday errands and Tank’s eyes were darting from side to side and he had a hard time standing. We rushed him to emergency vet and then to our Vet on Monday. through test he learned that whatever happened caused my baby to go deaf in his right ear. The doctor & I both worried he had a brain tumor. We went to Texas A&M for additional test. After 3 days of test they decided to close the deaf ear off to avoid infections and explore what was going on hat a MMR didn’t show.
I dropped him off at 8:00 a.m. and cried & cried because i felt something was so wrong. I will always remember the cute girl taking him from me saying “don’t cry he will be fine.”
I called at 6p.m. and he had gone through the surgery with out problems.
At 1 a.m. I got a call Tank had passed away. No one knew why……. they could not find any reason why he died or even went deaf. No tumor, no blood clot nothing, no reason what so ever! I needed an answer. I just could not understand why he would die for no reason!
I went through severe depression. I knew people thought i was crazy for hurting so bad over losing a dog. It was unexplainable. I still hurt bad when I think of my very special Tank.
I now have Sadie & Katie, also English Bull Dogs and adore them with all my heart, but the bond I had with Tank can never be again.
Mark ,I have been unable to read your Rescuing Sprite due to the depression. Even after 8 years the pain you feel would bring back the memories of the pain I felt.
I know this book has helped so many understand they are not crazy to morn the animals that give us so much unconditional love.
God bless you not only for the love you continue to give Sprite but also your love and devotion for our country.
I pray for you.

Donna from TX

Mr. Levin, I just read your book Rescuing Sprite and used about half a box of kleenex. We have had three wonderful dogs in our life time and every emotion that you mention in your book we encountered. Our last dog was a lab mix and she was wonderful, Roxy was her name and she was two years old. We put her in a kennel for a week-end and she escaped and ended up getting hit by a car with severe head trauma and a broken back, we had to put her to sleep, at the same time my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he passed away in eight months. I believe that the dog passed away before him so that they could be together in heaven. Thank you for your wonderful book.

Diane from PA

One April Fool’s Day exactly 10 years ago, in the rain a lost dog ran under our car while we were stopped in heavy traffic on a hwy service road in Queens, NY. My friend, Dominick who was driving the car said “I think I just ran over a dog, Iris, please take a look.” I was afraid to look but i was brave and so i did and a little red Pomeranian trotted out from under the car gave me a snooty look and trotted away. we chased her and cornered her in the rain in our suits (we were working at the time on our way to the office) like maniacs because she was little and there was so much traffic and into a Pakistani drug store where she bit my friend Dominick because she was scared. the druggest said “no troulbe i dont want any trouble’ and he gave us a small box and i put on my leather gloves and picked her up and then she bit me. we took her in the car,brought her home and she bit my mother, and to my to our Vet who searched for her owner and for a micro chip- we put up signs, looked in the papers, called the NYPD, the pounds-nobody claimed her. So we kept her and called her Mitzi (i should have called her Bitsy) and that started a legacy of so many dogs in our lives -that there isnt enough time to mention them all in one little story. Everyday she would come to work with us, and she was so nasty, growled and bit us. But we gave her love. . Loving and kind -she beame and would come to work with me. Read the rest of this entry »