I rcvd your book for a Christmas gift. On 10/4/07 I put my wonderful sheltie Rocky to sleep. He too was a rescued dog. We got him when he was 10. He had been abused and abandonned. He was a wonderful friend. He made us laugh so hard we cried and he knew when you needed comforting. I felt and still do guilty and that I had failed Rocky. The last night before I put him down Rocky laid his head on my leg and looked at me as if to comfort me and say it was time. He was 15 and he is missed everyday.

Dana from AZ

Hi, Ten years ago I moved from New Jerwey to a 200 acre farm in Pa. It was culture shock to say the least! I used to visit a local shelter and hand out bisquits, until one day i was haunted. There was a Lab/Sharpei mix balck puppy with the saddest eyes. My husband said if I ever came home with a dog, we could both live out on the lawn under a tent. No dogs in HIS house! Well, I sneakily put my name down as there was another couple interested in this puppy, but I got her! She was beautiful! She won over my man, and we were allowed to live in the big house after all.

One day, Rick had gone away for the weekend, and these trucks pull into the driveway. Men come out with rifles and shotguns slung over their shoulders. I was scared s***less. They told me that their stupid nephew missed his chance on a buck earlier, and wanted to know if they could let the kid shoot a buck that was wandering around our apple trees. Rick had always told me never to say no to a local, because they think they own every acre an “outsider” paid taxes on. So I said yes, and they went to park their trucks. I had not trained Bucca to do much else other than to sit for her treats, but I looked at her and asked her to “speak” With that, she looked out at the field, and began barking! The deer heard her and ran away, and the stupid nephew never got his buck for the season. I don’t know if she saw the panic in my eyes ( I did not want to deal with these guys dragging out a buck and making a mess of things with Rick gone) but it was as if she read my mind and actd on cue.

She passed away on Nov. 19th (in Rick’s arms) and there are so many stories like everyone else has who has ever loved an animal.. Thank you for letting me share!

Rita from TN

Dear Mark:
I would never try to place my story or grief over any others’.
All of us who have shared the special love of a furry friend love and grieve in our own way.
I have loved and lost many pets. I guess the ones that hurt me the most have been as an adult.
I lost my beloved Siberian Husky when she was 16. I got her when I was 19, she died when I was 35…the longest relationship of my life! She was so old and so tired and she was ready. She died in my arms of natural causes.

I then lost, Zach, my Boarder Collie. He died very unexpectatly at age 12 .

Now I have 5 dogs, 4 cats and 3 parrots ( I never had children!) My Australian Sheppard and one of my labs are getting older…my Aussie is 11. Your book and your story have given me a new focus on my loved ones.
Thank you for for you profound and kind story. I hope it has helped me and those I have given your book to to be better companions to our pets and better people.

SIncerely,

Terri from MS

I have a story which happened Christmas day that only people who love their dogs will understand. As a 73 year old retired police sergeant I love your show and your conservatiive values, but when you really showed your heart in writing and bearing your soul in Rescuing Sprite, a side we “men” are not suppose to have and show.
I have a little white Shi Tsu, named “Chrissy,” which I got to take the place of the love of my life I couldn’t have and was suffering from depression and living on anti-depressants. The week I got her, over 18 months ago, I took my last pill. She has been a life-saver to me.

My little 2 year old granddaughter just loves her and I have been talking to my son about getting a dog for her.
On Christmas day, he, as a Battalion Chief on our fire dept answered a suicide call. A 62 year old woman with some of the same problems I had gone thru had lost her precious little white Pekingnese which had gotten outside and she couldn’t find it. Neighbors were looking for it but she went into the house and shot herself to death. Most people can’t realize how attached one gets to our dogs.

But that is not the end of the story. The woman’s son-in-law was a police officer, and when they found the dog about two hours after the suicide call, he called the fire dept to ask if anyone wanted the dog.
My son jumped at the chance to rescue this 2 year old bundle of fur and joy and give it a good loving home with a 2 year old girl, a 10 year old boy, and a playful rabbit Lucy Lu can chase around the house.
Today Rick took Lucy Lu to the groomers to get all the sandspurs out of her that she picked up on her little run outside on Christmas day. She now has two bows and a scarf and looks like a doll.

Funny how God works….when He places too much on us and we react irrationally, He makes everything come out well in the end. I’m sure this fine lady can look down from Heaven and see her precioius Lucy Lu has a good home, loving kids to play with and feel good about it.
Sometimes our police and firemen are more than just our rescuers, they rescue the one most precious to us also.

Dick from FL

Wait till you hear my dog story! We have a Tahitian Shepherd that we rescued from Tahiti and he’s the best thing that has ever happened to our family!

My husband and I were vacationing on a private island in Bora Bora for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. While we were there we met this cute stray shepherd pup that began to follow us around. In Tahiti, they don’t really take care of their dogs, and the resort people at the Island would just shew him away and even kick him if he came close to the hotel guests. But, being dog lovers as we were, we welcomed this dog with open arms. It wasn’t long before he was following us everywhere. He’d even find his way out to our bungaloo, which was at the very end of the property. What amazed me about this dog was that as skinny as he was, (he had to steal food to live), when I fed him some filet minon, he took it from me very gently. He’d get so excited everytime he saw us. Well, then it was time for us to leave the island unfortunately. So, as we were leaving, he tried to jump in the boat with us. Of course the boat driver wouldn’t have it. So then as we were leaving , he tried to jump in the water to follow the boat! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!

Then about a week later we were on a cruise and got the opportunity to go back to the same island for a day. So my husband and I went over to the island we had been on and looked for the dog. He was overjoyed to see us again, but then when it was time to leave, he again tried to follow the boat in the water! It just broke my heart! Read the rest of this entry »

Just finished reading about Sprite & loved it. Two yrs ago, a few mos before losing my husband to lukemia, I had to give him the bad news that we had to put his beloved huge Rottweillet Max to sleep. That was not good news while lying in a hospital knowing that your days were numbered also. Being a diabetic, we had given him shots every day for several yrs. Then two mos later, my husband died. I moved from Houston to a small TX town, Brenham.

One day my daughter & granddaughter came in & told me they wanted me to go with them to Austin. We went to a Sheltie adoption home to ck out a pup that had been rescued for the hurricane Rita. I loved her w/one look. Today I do not know what I would do w/o her. Evidently, she had been abused since she was afraid of spray cans, a pat on the head etc. She is much better now w/love & devotion from my family. But, she also has pancreatitus, which we didn’t know about until after adoption. On a special diet, I have that under control. But, I went through all of the asso. visiting me etc. I am an “after school” tutor & have such joy to know that my Shelley will meet me at the door after working with little kids for several hours every day. Thank you for a wonderful and “tear-jerking” book.

Mary from TX