Today I found out what I had known already in my heart, my dog, Ebony, had bone cancer, and the quality of life for my loyal friend was all but over. After making that difficult decision today with my vet, I continue on with the day, knowing that my kids will feel the awful pain that I feel now when they return home from school. My life, and those of my family, were better while God allowed this animal to be a special part of it. The pain is deep today, but as a parent, I must continue on and show strength and prepare for the upcoming holidays. Thanks again for your kind words and book. It will make a difference, I promise you

Eric from MO

Dear Mr. Levin,

I bought your book and read it last Sunday. Our dog Ruger had cancer. The following Tuesday Ruger took a turn for the worse. Ruger stopped eating and the pain could no longer be controlled.

We made the dreaded appointment for December 12, 2007 at 2 p.m. Wateree Animal Hospital and staff had been caring for Ruger. They were all there for him. As he went to sleep in our arms we saw the pain and the suffering leave his face. It was as though he was a puppy again, once it was over and the pain was gone.

My husband and I rescued Ruger six months after we were married. Rescue is not the right word because Ruger picked us out and we brought him home. He was 8 months to a year old when he found us and he had been dumped at the shelter twice before.

We had him for 11 years and 12 days. Ruger shared our first Thanksgiving and Christmas and all of the good times and bad times though the years. This year we had Christmas at Thanksgiving in case Ruger would be too sick or not be with us for Christmas.

Our hearts are broken we miss him so much.

I want to say that I thank God for sending Ruger to us. In all the years we had Ruger he was never sick or injured. He had a full and wonderful life. Even so those years flew by so fast.

I believe that God knows what he is doing when he gives us a Fur Kid. I think that is God’s way of teaching us humans what real love is. There is no love like the love of a pet it is unconditional. We would never know what real love is if we did not know the love of a Fur Kid.

We also have cats. They were the first to notice that their brother was sick and hovered over him and showered him with love.
Thank you for your idea of planting a tree. We are getting a tree and placing his ashes along with the ashes of two cats he loved and raised in the earth with the tree.
I am sure that Sprite got a new friend in heaven last Wednesday.

God bless you for caring for all the homeless animals.

Warmest regards,

Donna & Richard from SC

This is a picture of Moses our great dane. We got him from a dane rescue shelter. He was just a pup. This is his 4th year birthday (oct 11th) with my father in the background, trying to get a hat on his head. He is truly one of the family. You can see how large he is in relation to a person. He is 220lbs and is as gental as a mouse (A really big mouse hehe). That unknown author poem that mark read on the air was so stunning I had to copy it word for word for a friend that had to put her dog down. It was really helpful. Thanks for your time and tell the great one he is the armor that keeps us republicans safe in this fight…

Joe from NJ

Hi Mark,

My husband and I love your show and especially love the discussion about dogs. We
both have guide dogs and have had the unfortunate yet somehow uplifting experience
of helping them into the next life at the end of their work.
I am also a member of the Board of Directors of the Guide dog Foundation for the
Blind in Smithtown, New York.

http://www.guidedog.org

One of our associated organizations is America’s Vet dogs.
http://www.vetdogs.org

Our instructors not only train guide dogs for blind people but also work with dogs
who are not suited for guide work but still have immense talent, to serve as assistance
dogs and therapy dogs for returning veterans.

Today our first two active serving military dogs were graduated with their handlers
at the National Training Facility in Smithtown. These two dogs, black Labrador Retrievers,
are trained as therapy dogs who will serve in a hospital unit in Iraq, providing
direct help to soldiers coming from the front lines and other dangerous areas with
combat stress. Read the rest of this entry »

I also had a “Pepse” that I rescued. But, it was not from a shelter. My daughter was waiting for me to pick her up from school and while she was waiting, a van pulled up and threw a little dog out of the door. When I arrived all the girls were so upset so I went on a mission to find this dog. Pepsi was with us for 13 years until last May, when the cancer got the best of him. He was a beagle/jack russell mix. He will always be missed.

Pam from MD

“POKE”. was more than my dog. She was my friend, my fishing buddy, my navigator, for more than ten years. In May it will be 2 years since my little Springer Spaniel passed away. I still miss her as much now as ever. There is a grave with a cross in my back yard. Poke’s collar hangs on the cross. There is an empty spot on my boat. It still belongs to Poke. She was the navigator.

Capt. Indian Jim from FL