I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your book. My husband gave it to me for Christmas on the recommendation of a friend that heard about it on the radio.

I too had to put my beloved dog Spanky a Cocker Spaniel to sleep this past July. She had a brain tumor and had gone completely blind and was full fo fluid. We took her to a specialist in Feb. but there was nothing really they could do. We tried medicine that gave her some relief, but in the end I had to justify her quality of life. I have had a dog of some kind since I was two years old, but have never had to make the diecision to put one to sleep. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I have loved all of my dogs and they become part of the family, but Spanky had gotten me through some pretty tough times. She helped me get through my mother’s battle with cancer and her death, she was there for me when my daughters both went off to college. One of my favorite sayings by Roger Caras is “dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole”.

In Oct. I got a new Cocker, her name is Molly it has helped with the emptyness I felt when I lost Spanky, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her as well as both of my parents that I have lost. I will always have a dog. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the book, it was so me, I felt like it was mine and Spanky’s story when I was reading, right down to when you were saying you didn’t want to play God, because I kept saying that to my husband through the months before we had to put her down. Thank you for sharing your story.

Julie from IA, a dog lover.

Thank you for the wonderful book, Mark. And also for supporting the shelters and rescue groups-the only place to get your pets.

I have 2 rescued dachshunds, both with back problems. Having put down one dachshund several years ago with the same problem, I am terrified to having to do this again.

I am on the Board of Directors for our Humane Society in Cocoa, Fl. and am grateful for the superb and caring staff that care for our animals until they can find their forever homes. We are also building a low cost spay neuter clinic to hopefully prevent the litters in the first place.

Thanks for writing such a great book, and for donating some profits to the shelters.

Sandi from FL

Hello Mark,

I would like to take the time to tell you about a calico cat that I had. She was 19 years old when she did and she was so very special to me and my family. When Patches was almost 5 years old I had my oldest son Jimmy he was about 6 months and she saved his life. You see Mark he had very bad asthma and we didn’t know it he was having trouble breathing and the baby monitor did not pick it up. She ran up one side of me and down on my husband till she woke us up. Patches was a very faithful cat she went thru sympathy pregnancy with me and was a very devoted animal.

She died last year a week before Thanksgiving in 2006. She lived all thru me having my back surgery and when I started feeling better she started taking a turn for the worse and eventually ended up dying at home. 6 months before her 20th birthday.

I wanted to thank you for writing your book about Sprite I found it to be very heart wrenching and fulfulling to read. Thank you for writing it. Best of luck to you and your family with your newest edition.

Dianne from PA

Mark, I just wanted you to know that when I got yor book, I barely made it through the introduction without getting tears in my eyes. I have been teaching English for 34 years and have always told my students that if they could write something that could evoke any emotion, whether it be anger, laughter, or tears, it was great writing. This was great writing. Your love for Sprite came through in your words. I asked my wife to read the book (I’m trying to convince her to get a dog), and I bought copies for my daughter (she has a 1 year old golden doodle) and for a guy I work with (he has 2 labs). I just wanted to share your book with them. Great job and take care.

Tom from NJ

I recently heard you on the radio sharing about your beloved Sprite. Thank you a trillion times because until hearing you, I had not known 1 person (except God of course) who understood what I went through when I made the decision to have my sweet golden retriever, Sunnie, put down in August ’04.

Everyone that ever met Sunnie talked about her smiling face, brilliance, sweetness and her human like facial expressions. At 9 yrs old people would watch us play in the lake or park and be amazed that she was 9 yrs, often guessing she was a pup of 9-12 months. Sunnie never was without a smile even though from the age of 6 mos. she had chronic UTIs and horrific allergies that caused her to tear her skin open and constantly suck and bite her paws and claw her ears. I spent thousands of $ @ vets doing everything they said including expensive diets–until I finally quit vet care @ age 6 altogether and followed a holistic approach with bottled H2O, fresh cooked food, vitamins and no more meds, vaccinations. She was absolutely better, but never really great. I am a born again Jesus lover and for the last 3 yrs of her life would pray and cry to God to heal her, provide me the $ to care for her, or to let her die so I wouldn’t have to decide. Read the rest of this entry »

I want to get your book for my wife as a surprise present, I just got married and we live in an apartment that does not allow dogs, so we have to leave moonshine (my wifes dog) with her mother, and sometimes my parents.
Moonshine is a small Maltese.

Last week we were visiting him over the weekend and when we left he got depressed, he stayed in bed and did not do anything till we came back later in the week after we heard that moonshine was acting this way.

Anyways love you one the radio, long time listener, you are the only news i get in the day.

Steven from NJ