This is Peaches and Buddy, I found Peaches in a dumpster in mid December 2005. She had a severly broken leg and four puppies, only a few days old. Eversince I was a child I have been bringing strays home with me so it was no suprise to my husband, when I brought home this family of dogs. I promised him that I was only going to keep them until the pupp’s were old enough to give away, but by the time the pupps were old enough Peaches had won over my husbands heart. You never see my husband with out Peaches on his heals or curled up in his lap which is ironic because she seemed to hate men, she tried to bite my husband and my father obviously she was abused by a man. My son Kyler claimed Buddy as his dog from day one and they are the best of friends. We love them dearly and cannot imagine out lives without them in it.

Kelly from California

Dear Mr. Levin

I want to share a poem with you that a friend of mine sent me after the loss of her beloved friend. It is called “Second Dog”.

Sometimes I look for traits in you
Of a little dog you never knew
A dog that loved me all her days
And understood in special ways.
But that’s not fair to you, I know
You’re not a substitute, although,
You’ve eased the loss, and soothed the pain,
And tugged my laughter home again.
Yet, puppy, sometimes I almost start
When your eyes recall her to my heart.
You’ll never lack for love, it’s clear,
Because of her, you’re twice as dear.

When my beloved Daisy, a black lab pit bull mix died on August 31, 2006 I did not know if I could survive losing her. I have always had numerous pets (currently 3 dogs, 4 birds, and a turtle) but there was something about Daisy. I don’t know if it was because I had so many critters to compare her to, perhaps my maturity, or just the stage in my life that I was in but she taught me what a pure unconditional love was. Much like the love that God gives us. She was brought to me by my daughter who found her digging through trashcans on the east part of town. I was very hesitant about taking her because I had just lost my Dixie but I also felt that the timing was right to bring in another friend. The vet estimated her to be about six months old and for the next ten glorious years she was truly my most cherished friend. I honestly think that she was psychic because she always read my moods and reacted accordingly. I can’t tell you how many tears she licked from my face. She slept with me every night (all 75 lbs of her) and many times I had to beat her to the bed so that I could sleep next to my husband. And many mornings, I would wake up to her head on my pillow with her paw on my chest. She was my child.
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I have been struggling for a month to write my story and it is getting closer. I did not realize how hard BUT it refreshed my memory to a site that saved Buster’s life – www.imom.org. It is a site dedicated to assisting people with financial and emotional needs between an owner and pet. When Buster needed a wheelchair, I could not afford it. They allowed me to post my story and within 3 days they notified me that an anonymous donor had accepted the cost. Within 1 week I received a custom wheelchair for Buster! Please, Mark, take the time to visit a site that has a heart and audience that will touch you deeper than you could comprehend. The service and support they provide is phenomenal and selfless. WWW.IMOM.ORG

Linda from California

Mark:

You brought tears to my eyes when you talked about your dog.

My son’s best buddy (a 12 year old Shih Tzu) had to be put down in the summer of 2002 due to a fast growing tumor in his groin.
It was the hardest thing for all of us to make that call, let alone carry it through, but it was something that HAD to be done to alleviate his suffering. They become a member of the family, not a pet. A hamster or Guinea pig is a pet, but a dog belongs to the family.

I could hear the emotion in your voice when you talked about it. If you have never had a relationship with a dog, you cannot understand.

Keep up the good work on your end, and I pledge to do the same on this end.

With greatest respect for you and your program,

Ben from Minnesota

Desi was my best friend for 14 years. He was a true member of the family and is truly missed.

The sadest thing is that my 10 month old son never really got to play with Desi like I did.

Brian from California

Our dog’s name was Lady. We got Lady at the Humane Society when she was a little over 6 weeks old. Lady was just a little mutt, but she was a sweet mutt. She was probably the best dog anybody could ask for. Always loving and never asking anything in return. Lady was about 16 years old when she died last Saturday. Poor Lady’s health was failing and her kidneys were starting to shut down. So my husband took her to the vet last Saturday and had her put to sleep. I couldn’t bear to go with him, but my daughter held Lady in her arms while she drifted off to sleep. My husband feels so bad about having to do it, but had to be done. Our house seems to lonely without her now and we really miss her even though she was not able to do much. It is like losing a family member and just as painful. May our Lady rest in peace. We sure miss you girl. We will never forget you.

Elaine from Florida