Mark, I saw your interview on Hannity & Colmes. I was so touched by your words. It was comforting to find that someone else understands how losing a beloved pet can be so life changing. I am a lover of all animals, but I hope you don’t mind if I send along the poem I wrote for my cat, Baxter. Writing this for him helped, but the hole in my heart will always be there.

“The Amazing Heart”
For My Baxter

I looked at all the faces
Where was I to start?
They all should have a loving home
But your eyes stole my heart

You gently let me bring you
To a place you’d never known
But how was I to know that day
You’d make my heart your home

You felt so right within my arms
But you did hesitate
In time, trust came into your heart
Your love was worth the wait

Through our days together
We knit a special bond
You even seemed to like it
When I wrote you your own song

When your illness came our way
I didn’t see the signs
For how could I imagine life
If you were not in mine

So again I took you in my arms
And held you oh so tight
And said into your loving eyes
It’s time to stop the fight

I sang your song one last time
And thought it quite a feat
That my heart could be so broken
And still continue to beat

I wrapped you in your blanket
One final trip back home
We buried you beneath the trees
Where you liked to roam

The heart is so amazing
Who knew all it could do
For even with this endless hole
It stills holds all of you

Candi from Maine

My wife and I adopted Goblin from a local shelter, he was already named Goblin because someone had found him on Haloween. We had to treat him for heartworms but he came through that just fine. He became deathly afraid on thunderstorms and would literally chew through our chain link fence to escape. He usually did not go far but one time he did not come back and my wife and I spent several anxious days looking for him. He had been missing for four or five days and I was lying in bed one night about 3 a.m. when a sensation came over me that I had never before experienced and I knew at that moment that he was o.k. and that I would find him. Two days later I went back to the pound and there he was. He lived for several more years and at 13 got cancer and we had to put him down. As I sat on the floor at the vets with his head in my lap The feeling of peace that came over me as he passed was almost overwhelming. I knew at that time that his soul was gone and he was no longer suffering.

Marty from Georgia

I rescued a 1 year old Boxer 3 years ago & it’s been one of the best decisions we have ever made. He had been abused & had “some issues” when we first got him. We were thrwn out off the first school we went. By the second school Sonny realized that we truly loved him & he came around & changed completely. I travel quite often & when Sonny sees me packing my bag he will completely ignore me till I come back & then he’s all mine.

Luis from Ohio

I listen to you speak on Hannity’s show about your Sprite and remember my own two pets who are with your Sprite in a better place. I can appreciate how you feel and understand why it is so painful to bring up the details as you are remembering the beloved memories. We had two sweet toy poodles. Minnie was the mother of Squirt, who was born in our house. They gave us such joy and companionship and unconditional love. My daughter who is thirty something still talks about them after almost ten years of their passing. Minnie had some health problems but was holding her own. Since she was 17 years old and winter was coming I had my husband dig a hole for her in case she didn’t make it through the winter. In the meantime, Squirt wasn’t feeling well and was taken to the Vet for a checkup-the outcome was he was in kidney failure. We were devastated by the news because he was suffering and we knew the decision we had to make. He was 15 1/2 years old but to us he was still a puppy. We were broken hearted to have to put him down. I never felt such pain putting my beloved Squirt down (I am brimming with tears remembering the loss). Never did we dream that he would use the hole meant for his mother, Minnie. I could see Minnie was so lost without him. I had to sleep with her because she was so lonely and sad. Within 10 days she stopped eating or drinking. Again we had the painful decision to put our second dog down. They were buried together wrapped lovingly in blankets. We were very upset to lose both pets in a short time. I couldn’t even think about another dog. It was too painful to have one and lose it. Seventeen years sounds like long enough but emotionally and physically its not enough time to spend with our pets. They were part of our family and lives.
I would come home at night and the house would feel empty and quiet. My husband without my knowlege scoured the paper for another dog. We found an ad locally for a toy poodle. I reluctantly went to see the dog. The seller greeted us at the door with this red toy poodle weighing about a pound and a half. I fell in love all over again and gave my love to Sienna who is almost 10 years old.
I can still remember my Minnie and Squirt like it was yesterday. They have left their imprint on my heart forever. I appreciate the opportunity to express my feelings about the loss of our beloved animals.

Jeanne from New York

Good day Mark! I listen to your radio show EVERY day on my drive home to Silver Spring. Both of my beautiful dogs are rescued…or did they rescue me? Honey is a Lab mix 12yrs old..and Molly my Basset is 5. They saw me thru my husbands death..and the long lonely days since then. God bless you for writing this book. It will be my present to lots of my dog park friends this Christmas.
Best wishes,
Attached is a picture of my old girl Honey.
Dianne from Maryland

I WAS SO TOUCHED BY YOUR STORY, I DECIDED I WOULD TELL YOU ABOUT OUR SNICKERS. I HAVE HAD SUCH A HARD TIME WITH HER LOSS, BUT IN HEARING YOUR STORY ABOUT YOUR LIFE WITH SPRITE, I FELT LIKE WRITING THIS TO YOU WOULD HELP. SNICKERS WAS A BEAUTIFUL CAIRN TERRIER, WHO CAME INTO OUR LIVES ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO. THE PEOPLE WHO ORIGINALLY OWNED HER LIVED ON THE STREET A BLOCK OVER FROM US-LONG STORY SHORT, THEY MOVED AND LEFT HER ON THE STREET. MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND MY HUSBAND AND I STARTED LEAVING FOOD AND WATER OUT FOR HER-AFTER A FEW WEEKS, WE LOOKED FOR HER AND FOUND HER AT A HOUSE NEAR BY WHERE THEY WERE HAVING A GARAGE SALE (SHE LOVED BEING AROUND PEOPLE AND GETTING ATTENTION). WE PICKED HER UP AND TOOK HER TO A VERY SPECIAL VET, WITH THE IDEA WE WOULD HAVE HER CHECKED AND THEN FIND HER A GOOD HOME. WELL, SHE HAD HEARTWORM, SO WE BROUGHT HER HOME, NURSED HER THROUGH THAT, AND SHE WAS THEN OURS. OUR DAUGHTER SAID SHE KNEW IT WAS A DONE DEAL WHEN WE CAME HOME AFTER A TRIP TO PET SMART, WITH A FLUFFY BED, TOYS, AND ETC. YOU HAVE SAID THE SAME THING I HAVE MANY TIMES-ALL THEY WANT IS LOVE, FOOD, AND A LITTLE ATTENTION, AND THEY GIVE YOU COMPLETE DEVOTION. THERE IS SO MUCH TO TELL-SO MANY STORIES FOR OUR 10 YEARS TOGETHER, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY, SNICKERS WAS LOVED. SHE WAS ILL HER LAST YEAR AND BECAME VERY ILL AT THE SAME TIME MY MOTHER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. WE HAD TO GO BETWEEN GARLAND, TX AND BACK HERE TO FT WORTH JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY FOR A WEEK. WE LOST SNICKERS AND A WEEK LATER WE LOST MY MOTHER. THAT WAS TWO YEARS AGO THIS PAST APRIL, AND I STILL GET TEARY WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT. HOWEVER, I THANK GOD THAT I WAS SO BLESSED WITH THIS VERY SPECIAL FRIEND AND FOR MY BEAUTIFUL LOVING AND CARING MOTHER. SO, MR. LEVIN, AFTER WATCHING YOU ON FOX AND HEARING YOU ON THE RADIO, I HAVE TO SAY JUST LET THOSE TEARS FLOW AND THINK ABOUT HOW BLESSED YOU HAVE BEEN-SPRITE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU, AND WHEN THOSE TEARS COME, YOU WILL REMEMBER THE FUN TIMES TOO. WE HAVE MANY PICTURES OF SNICKERS, BUT, I AM TECHNOLOGICALLY CHALLENGED, AND AM NOT SURE HOW TO SCAN ONE IN TO SEND WITH THIS. I WILL, HOWEVER, GET MY HUSBAND TO DO THIS LATER. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS AND PLEASE HUG ONE ANOTHER FOR ME-YOU ARE SPECIAL PEOPLE. OH YES, THE REASON I KNOW I AM TECHNOLOGICALLY CHALLENGED IS BECAUSE MY GRAND-DAUGHTER TOLD ME THIS IS SO-I REALLY AM,YOU KNOW. I USUALLY JUST READ AND SEND E-MAILS, AND CAN FIND WHATEVER I NEED ON THE INTERNET-WHAT ELSE DO I NEED, HMMM? I TELL HER THIS, AND SHE JUST SHAKES HER HEAD AND GRINS-JUST ANOTHER VERY SPECIAL BLESSING IN MY LIFE.

Mariss from Texas