Mark, I currently have a dog & a cat. I acquired my new cat after one who was 19 passed away! It was just awful! Early one morn she started yelping in pain & I got an appointment @an emergency vet. They said she had a blood clot & I needed to let her go. I held her & thanked her for all the years she’d been so excellent to mje & bawling, I said goodbye.

When my boxer was about 12 & barely able to get up anymore, we HAD to put him down. My husband & I had just separated & I kept putting it off. We actually spent his last night together so we could BOTH take him in the morn. What was awful was that WHOLE WEEK, it was the LAST time we’ll walk here, the LAST night, the LAST…… When we got there the vet asked if we wanted to stay after the shot was administered & we did. I could barely get up off the floor. I got it together to walk out thru the vet office & then collapsed against my car. THANK GOD my ex was w/me!!

I TRULY beleieve it’s better to have something happen last minute than HAVE TO PLAN IT!!!!!! I TOTALLY SYMPATHIZE w/ALL you’ve been thru & look forward to reading your book! God bless you!,
A Loyal Listener,’
Jody from Maryland

Hello Mark. I moved from California in Dec 2005 and happened upon your radio show on WABC, 770AM, and try to listen any time I can. I am very pleased that your opinion is publicized for many to hear. I was very moved when you talked about Sprite and your feelings of loss. I had an Alaskan Malamute named ‘Sasha’ when I lived in CA and she had the coloring and markings of a grey wolf. She was very gentle and friendly although her 110 pound size belied that. People use to cross the street when I walked her sometimes. I lost her to cancer and it broke my heart. I was useless at work for two weeks. I then decided that I was not going through that again, no more dogs. That was not the first time for me. About a year before I moved, around November 2004 through a series of events I bought a 13 pound white apricot poodle mix named ‘Teddy” from a rescue shelter. Little dog huge heart. I am humbled by his love and affection. I made him a pact: let me adopt you and you will never have to worry about anything, I will take very good care of you. He had been running the streets with a bigger dog near El Camino College in Torrance: lucky for me the big dog got away and little ‘Teddy’ didn’t. It may sound corny, but I thank the Great Spirit, the Creator, every night for loaning me little Teddy as I know he wants him back at some time, can’t blame him. DOGS RULE. Thank you for your radio show,
William from New York

Growing up my family and I had the most amazing Black Lab – Champ! We fondly called him “Champion the Wonder Dog.” He truly was amazing. From the day we brought him at 6 weeks old until the day he died of cancer at 10years old he was happy and loving. We all loved him! The story I want to tell is this: We had a pool in our backyard that was surrounded by a large deck. Champ would fetch his golf ball and bring it to the pool where we were all playing. He would lay down with his paws just barely dangling above the water. He would then drop his golf ball into the pool. Well the ball, subsequently sank to the bottom, where Champ would dive down to retrieve it. His paws would flip and flop above the water as he fished around for his trusty golf ball. Once he got it, he would swim to the ladder, climb out, shake and begin again. This would continue for hours! The entertainment factor was immeasurable. He even helped to bring my sister to the ladder when she seemed to him to be drowning (she wasn’t).

This dog had so many great stories and wonderful memories. Not a day goes by that we don’t think about him or chat about him in some way. He will be missed forever.

Michelle from New Jersey

Penny the chihuahua lived in my home for 6 short months. I was her 4th and final foster home. I had applied to foster her the early spring of 1999 when I noticed her poster: “Won’t somebody give penny a home?” I met a wonderful woman, Pat who ran a foster organization. She informed me that Penny had been adopted but that she(Pat) had a bad feeling about the people. Something was amiss. In September 1999 Pat called me distraught. Penny had been abused in her home…one of the women was mentally ill. Could I help? Indeed I did, but when I met Penny I knew she did not have much time left and I vowed to make it good for her. The people had broken Pennys little ankles so she had to walk on her wrists a very painful thing. She had heart failure and she was a fear biter. In a month she trusted me enough to sit in my lap as I read or worked on the computer. Doctors visits were excruciating for her but necessary. She always put a hole or two in my fingers from her pain and fear. I put her into a babies play pen with an eggshell mattress on top to keep her pain tolerable. She gained weight because her appetite improved. She even wagged her little tail when I came back home after errands. She had a good Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, even Valentines day! On the 20th of February she had a massive heart attack. I called her vet and started the car to warm it up and remove snow. I worked as fast as I could but she gave a small sigh and departed this life. God bless you little Penny. I am glad you are an angel now out of pain and fear.

Lecia from Washington DC

I have never had a dog as an adult. I had one when I was growing up and she was my great companion and protector. I had cats up until a couple of years ago when I had to have my 16-year old boy to sleep. That broke my heart.

I just recently adopted two rescued American Eskimos, Landon and Brandon. I have never known such joy in pet ownership. And I can’t imagine my life without them. Pet’s are definitely a gift from a loving God!

John from Florida

I had the dog of my dreams…a golden retriever. She was the best dog in the world! She was a rescue from the SPCA and had a big fear of thunder and lightning storms. She once chewed through our mattress during a storm when we were away. We got her when she was about 3 years old and she had recently had a litter of pups. She also had heartworms. We treated her for the heartworms and worked her through her fears, and she became the stabilizing factor in my life. She was the kindest, most gentle, forgiving, and patient being I’ve ever known. We lost her three years ago to lymphatic cancer. She was sick, but never complained. One morning after a very hard night, she came downstairs to go outside and collapsed on the front porch where she died. I still get tears in my eyes when I think about it. Dogs are the most perfect form of love that we’ll ever know on this earth. I applaud all of those who visit their local shelters and adopt an animal who desparately needs a home. I hope to see my girl again someday in heaven.

Cathy from Texas