A man flagged me down at the corner of Underhill Ave. and Bergen Street-Brooklyn. He told me that there was a dead dog in the vacant lot. I investigated, and saw a gold hair dog in a ditch. When I approached, it looked up at me. It was badly injured, covered with hundreds of bees. Her back and belly had deep lacerations. The man who flagged me down followed me and we both try to find a way to lift her out ditch. He found a piece of plywood and we managed to get it under it. I noticed she was a female dog and that her front right leg was broken. We carried her out to the sidewalk and with all her injuries; she managed to stand, next to me. Kids in from the neighborhood said that drug dealers threw her off the roof across the street, three days prior. She was in that hole for three long days. Well, I notified my boss and I took her to a vet I knew of in Queens. The vet exam her and confirmed that her leg was broken and lost some blood. She also said that she was about six months old and was the main reason she survived. The next major problem was, if no one claimed her or responsibility for her medical expense, she would be put to sleep at the end of the day. Needless to say, Sandy and I have been together for ten happy years for far…

My wife, Barbara, who was my girlfriend back then, had a dog named Bull. A giant German Sheppard, Collie mix. He took her under his wing like a big brother. They were inseparable until he past on president day 2006-cancer. Sandy now has a new sister, Stella, a Border Collie- Cattle dog mix. Sandy was sad for a while, but now has to put up with Stella and me.
So god bless you and thank you for being a Great American, When I listen to your show, you truly give me hope..
Ray from NJ -Ret NYPD and Ret. USAF Res.

Mark, Thank you for Rescuing Sprite. I just finished reading it, & cried along with you. We had a spaniel/terrier dog for 14 years, Romeo. We lovedhim so much. He got hit by a car & we had to have our Vet put him to sleep. We will always miss him, but loved having Him as part of our family.

Carol from OR

Mark. I can imagine what you went through. I own 4 cats each with their own personality. Mama Kitty, and her 4 surviving kittens. I know that some point I am going to have to say “Good-Bye” I dread it. I think you have done a great service to those of us who LOVE our animals Dogs, cats, ETC,and let them go with dignety and love and not feel asamed to cry at their passing.
With Love from ALL animal lovers,

Steve from CA

One killed my bird dog named “Molly” a few years back. She was a Brittany Spaniel that LOVED the woods as well as the water. This incident happened behind my church where I was clearing vegetation. I still see the visuals effects of the gator rolling with her. It was fifteen feet in front of me. I was tossing a ball in the lake so she would have something to do while I worked. I was watching out for alligators coming across the top of the lake. This one came up from the bottom, and when he surfaced, he was two feet off her backside. There was nothing I could do but cry, It happened so fast. I felt so helpless. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Mark: I just finished reading your book…and wow, I have not cried like that in many years. Like many of your readers, I lost a dog to a tragic car accident nearly twenty years ago and I still think about about him often and wonder about all the years of joy that I missed out on because of making one horrible bad decision. It still haunts me to this day, as it will the rest of my life. The good news is that I have two incredible Jack Russell Terriers that are the best dogs in the world. One of them is a rescue dog and I marveled at the similarities between him and your dog Sprite. It amazes me how they show how appreciative they are of you nearly every minute they are by your side. I wanted to thank you for sharing your story with the world. You and your family have a special place reserved in heaven for the help you are giving to dogs in need and the human lives you are touching with your story. I’m sure it is helping anyone that has ever had a special bond with a pet and has had to say good-bye to them, for whatever reason. As you are no doubt finding out, there are A LOT of us out there.

As for me, you have inspired me to write a book about my two best buddies and whether it makes one dollar, or 5 million, I will be sharing the proceeds with organizations that help animals in need. As you originally thought about your book, I can’t imagine anyone will want to read about me and my dogs, but it will be fun for me to write and will be a tribute to all the wonderful pets out there that enrich our lives more than just about anything else in this world can. I mean this next statement from the bottom of my heart and with all the sincerity that I have in my soul: God bless you and your family, Mark…and everyone else out there that gives a pet a loving home and tries to take care of them as they deserve to be taken care of. All of my best.

Tony from IN

Bart and Moose

I met Barn-dog over 2 years ago through an internet adoption site. At the time, I was quite leary about taking on the responsibility of dog ownership.
However, I was lured in, by a good friend, into a search for a puppy that she wanted to bring home. We spent a few weeks searching websites for puppies in our area.
An unfruitful search for her, became a wonderful journey for me.
I stumbled upon www.citypetrescue.com, an organization based in Dallas, TX that takes in dogs and cats who have lost their home. Enter Barney.
I fell in love with his disproportionately large black nose that overshadowed his matted grey hair. There he was, looking more pathetic than anything should be allowed to look. Read the rest of this entry »