I have always been a huge fan of dogs with their unconditional love and loyalty, often it seems despite whatever they have been through. I recently bought home a dog from the kennel in which I work when the owners didnt want to keep her anymore. (A boarding kennel, not a rescue I might add)
Clarissa was petrified, reticent, skin and bone, didnt know how to play with toys or my other 3 dogs, it really tugged at my heart strings. Three weeks later she is just beginning to relax, enjoy walks, and allows my others to sit ‘fairly’ close by.
Last night a visit to the vet gave me some heart breaking news. She had a lung and abdomen full of fluid, most likely cancer or heart failure. She is 4 years old. At this stage I have no idea how I will make the right decision re her future. It just seems so ironic that she may not be able to enjoy her new found happiness for very long.
PS. I am a slow reader but read Rescuing Sprite in almost one hit. Thankyou.

Nicky from SC

Mark, I have just finished reading your book about your beloved Sprite. It is heartbreaking and triumphant at the same time. I. too am currently wrestling with the life changing decision of when is the “right” time to end the life of a beloved friend. Her name is Mia and she was a shelter dog–just like Sprite. She was adopted by my parents while they were on a vacation to the Ozark Mountains. At the time of her adoption, we were told that her age was probably about two years. So that would make her now about 14 or15 years old. Her muzzle is gray and the hair on her ears is tinged with gray. Her vision and hearing are not good and she has arthritis iin her hips and legs. Some (most) days,I have to help her get up and have to direct her outside to do her business. She is –technically–my parents dog–but in her heart–and mine–I believe she has always considered herself an extension of me. I live about 30 miles from my parents and am their caregiver and that also includes helping with the pets that are as much a part of the family as the human members. Mia has always loved babies and as she never–as far as we know–had any of her own– every human baby she has ever seen has been hers. She nuzzles and licks and when they cry, she will immediately go to an adult to seek assistance. She has protected my daughter on many occasions from what she has perceived as a threat and , at one time, almost had a fight with an Airedale that she thought got too close to the stroller in which her human baby was riding. There are too many memories and not enough room to write them all. Read the rest of this entry »

I just finished reading Rescuing Sprite and it touched my heart in many ways. Several years ago I began volunteer work with dog rescues and even helped begin a Golden Retriever rescue in northern Ohio (Golden Treasures Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc.). When my husband was transferred out of Ohio, I could no longer do the work of pulling dogs out of kill shelters, transporting dogs to medical facilities, screening applicants, and most importantly, fostering dogs until new homes were identified. While we are now living in Germany, we are Americans who brought our four Golden Retrievers, two of them rescues, across the sea with us. As with Sprite, we lost our oldest rescue Rosie after a couple of years; she died New Year’s evening suddenly and quite unexpectedly. We were all in the room with Rosie as she startled awake from a nap, went into an agonizing stretch for a few seconds and then was gone before we could ever reach her. Though initially I felt robbed of this gentle, sweet life, it soon became apparent how much God was with us that evening. She might have died an hour earlier while we were away at dinner, making us feel guilty forever that we were not with her. Or her health may have declined to the point where we had to make that decision to euthanize her. God spared us and now has her with him. Someone once told me that dogs don’t go to heaven because they don’t have souls. I couldn’t disagree more – heaven would not be complete without our dogs. Thanks, Mark, for writing a book that describes so well the bond between people and dogs. I hope your book inspires many more people to adopt rescue dogs. It’s families like yours that rescue groups always look for in placing these special friends. We’ll be returning to the U.S. at some point and I’ll pick up rescue work again. Though the work is emotionally draining at times, the need is too great not to help dogs find love returned in exchange for their devotion.

Kathy from Germany

Beemer was my daughter Beth’s cherished friend for 15 years. Adopted from a shelter near Dallas, Beemer couldn’t have found a better owner.She loved that dog dearly. Beemer was showing her age, but Beth’s devotion never waivered in spite of all the inconveniences and problems. One day after arriving home from work Beemer was discovered in the small fish pond in the backyard. She had somehow fallen in and drowned. Beth was and still is devasted.
Coincidentally, I had just purchased Rescuing Sprite Actually I bought three copies, one for me and two more for my children. She was so grateful to receive that book and told me how much it helped her. She said it was so good to know that there were others who felt the same way about their animals. It was even more special because someone so prominent was willing to express his feelings about his dogs.

Thanks for the book Mark.
We were all moved by it. And thanks for the radio program. I can’t tell you how much we have all learned from you. Even though we are distanced from our family, we are all listening in our various locations. The show is very often the topic of our conversations.

Ellen from NJ

Mark – I just wanted you to know that your book was wonderful. It took me 2 months to read it because I could not stop crying, but what a wonderful tribute to Spritey, and what an incredible spirit he was. Your book inspired me to write my own story about my baby Luna, whom I lost to Cancer in January 2007 at the young age of 4. To this day I cry for her and miss her terribly, and your book really made me realize that I’m not alone in my grief, that there are many other dog lovers out there suffering as well. You’re in my prayers. Here is her story. It’s very long (sorry):

Luna’s Story

Birthday: 1:15pm October 14, 2002
Birthplace: Norco, CA
Passed through to the Bridge: 2:15pm January 17, 2007

Joy:

In the summer of 2001, my brother told me of a friend of his with two black labs they were going to breed and sell the pups. I cannot stand it when people do that because there are so many dogs in the world that need homes, but my husband and I were considering adopting another dog as a play mate for our then 8 ½ year-old black lab Gypsy, so we told him to let us know when the pups were born and we’d think about it. We wanted a yellow lab female. Time went by and after a few months, we forgot all about it.

Moving forward a year 1/2, it was now October 2002. I was at home when my brother called, telling me the pups had been born and there were two yellow females. One of them, the runt – a tiny yellow female, was reserved for us if we wanted her. She had been born “blue” – not breathing, and because of that nobody wanted her. I couldn’t quite understand that since she lived and was fine, so off we went to meet her. When her eyes met ours, well, that was it. We were captivated, in love, and all hers. We named her Luna, after the Greek moon Goddess. Read the rest of this entry »

My story is neither sad or funny, it’s just Truman. I adopted Truman, a now 110 lb. white lab, for my then young son who needed a friend. I was told he’d be 60 to 80 lbs. Not so much. We got more than a friend, with those extra pounds and inches. I’m not always well and he seems to know first when I’m not. He lays down on the floor with me and stays there until he is sure I am asleep. He then assumes his post on a rise of the stairs where he has a sniper’s view of all that can be surveyed. He stays there, no matter what is going on around him, without fail ,until Mom awakens and calls him over. This was not something he was trained to do, it is something he assumed to be his job.
I am truly blessed to be loved by such a perfect sweet creature, my boy, Truman.

Pat from PA