My story is about a German Shepard by the name of Buck. I can tell you many stories about my friend, when he swam in the surf at Cape Cod, when he alerted me to a fire in the house at 3:00 am but the best is when our house was broken into by an intruder.

I lived with 2 other friends and one night someone broke the window at 4:00am in the downstairs bedroom of my friend. This thug got in the room and started to assault my friend who was dead asleep. Buck was in my room next door and got up and started to pace back and forth then jumped up on the bed and woke me up. He weighed 110lbs. When I jumped up I saw him staring at the door so I thought he needed to go out. I opened the door and he ran straight for my friends room and began to scratch at the door and cry. I knocked on the door and heard a muffled cry so I broke the door open and their was this huge guy on top of my friend hitting him. I just told Buck to “GO” and he charged into the room and hit this guy from the back with his weight. Buck then proceeded to teach this thug a lesson about breaking into the wrong home. He shredded the guy pretty badly and that’s the first time I saw a gang member cry for “MOMMA”. We called the Police and even they wouldn’t come in till I got Buck out of the room. The thug by the way was under the bed and would not come out unless the police helped him- how’s that for a laugh.

Anyway, Big Buck died in my arms 6 yrs later from a heart attack. I held him in my arms and talked to him and felt his big heart beat slower and slower until he simply fell asleep. I was a mess for a long time but I always thank God that he gave me this magnificent friend for the time that he did. He’s buried in my yard in a place of honor and I visit him all the time and talk to him like he’s still here. I know that sounds nuts but I don’t care I owe it to him.

Dennis from NY

I posted the story about a month ago of how our dog Rosie came to America from England. I ended that post by describing how Rosie was diagnosed with Kidney Disease about a year ago and how she wasn’t doing very well recently.

Considering how Rosie was doing, and since I’m such a big fan, I asked my wife to get me “Rescuing Sprite” for Christmas. She ordered me the signed version off of the website and it arrived on Friday November 30.

I don’t travel very much for my job but I did have to travel that following week from Seattle to Atlanta. I took Rosie to the vet for a check-up on Saturday and they drew some blood to do some tests. The results would be ready Monday morning, December 3rd, the same morning that I had to travel. When I landed in Phoenix, where I had a layover, the pilot told us we could now turn our cell phones back on. I turned mine on and there was a text message from my wife saying that Rosie was being put to sleep in about 20 minutes.

I never could have imagined that I wouldn’t have been there for something like this, and neither one of us were really prepared. I called my wife right away and she was already parked in the vet’s parking lot waiting to go inside… the both of us now sobbing.

Thank you for writing this book Mark.

Eric from WA

Mr. Levin:

I just finished reading ‘Rescuing Sprite’ and just had to take the opportunity to let you know what an incredible book it was. I identified a lot of what my husband and I are going through with our dog, a shepard-collie mix named Buddie. She has the look of a shepard pup, with the brown, caramel and white coloring of a collie and the most precious face and big brown eyes.

My husband got Buddie as a pup 15 ½ years ago after we were only dating a year. At the time, I lived in an apartment and couldn’t have pets. So, he kept her at his parent’s house. In the beginning, Buddie was an outside dog, but as she got older my mother in law softened and brought her into the house.

Three years ago, he and I bought his mother’s house in order to help take care of her. We inherited Buddie of course. Before her, I never had a pet and wasn’t sure how to act around her. It wasn’t long before she and I developed a routine that was second nature. I began looking forward to coming home from work and taking our walks. At the time, she was almost 13 and still very spry and active. She would pull me most of the way!

As time went on, I found myself treating her and talking to her as if she were human. I swear, most time I thought she was! Because my husband and I have no children, she filled the void in my life. I would speak to her in gentle tones, whisper “I love you” in her ear, kiss her snout and put my arm around her as she sat up so that her head was nuzzled perfectly under my chin. Read the rest of this entry »

Too much to say about Chip. He was 14 when he died. When my folks divorced after 30+ years of marriage, Chip’s passing was much more difficult to deal with than not speaking to or seeing my own father for around 7 years now. That’s how much I miss Chipper.

Mike from AZ

On 9-11-2001, the devastating news came to our TV’s and hearts that we all will remember for the rest of our lives. I pulled my kids out of school and took the day off of work to be with them and to explain to them, what had happened.
We were walking at Virginia Lake, a large geese and duck pond in south Reno, when there was activity where there should have been none. In the dumpster…..I had no problem climbing in, scared it might be a homeless person who had injured themselves.

It was not. It was a glad bag, full of puppies. Sadly, all were dead but one. One black puppy with back paws looking as if they were dipped in paint. Scared and starving, she weighed but a mere 1.5 lbs. I frantically searched the bag, but no more survivors. 8 brothers and sisters perished horribly on the day she was saved.

It was not me that saved her, but her that saved me. You see, one week later I lost my job and was jobless for almost a year. Without her by my side, I don’t know what I would have done. She reminded me, day after day, how much I was needed.

We named her Hope. I love you Hope.

Marion from NV

Katy is a PBGV that God put in my hands 10 yrs. ago. Don’t know how old she is but don’t expect many more years. My life @ 49 could be worse but I’m not sure how. Thank you for the book. I wake up to Katy every day and smile.

Bart from AZ