I shared 13 years with my best friend Beauregard T Dawg a Basset Hound that I had from a pup. He shared my last few years in the Army till I retired as the Company Mascot, and physical training assistant, (kept the troops running). He was a real active Basset, a runner, loved to play with the troops, and had 135 troops watching out for him daily. He was the assistant 1SGT. After I retired, I became an owner operator truck driver and we shared 7 wonderfull years on the road. Beau was 13 years old in 1998, and it was getting harder and harder for him to live in the truck, but when I left him home he would bay all night missing me, keeping the wife awake till all hours. I actually spent more time with Beau than home with the wife. We again went out on the road and shared the last few weeks. His last day, Nov 3rd 1998 was a normal one, we got up, did our daily walk, he ate, and we traveled on that day doing our thing. We stopped for the night in a rest area along west bound I-70 in Kansas, we had our dinner and we sat out at a picnic table having our nightly conversation, with my coffee in hand we just sat and pondered the universe, as I scratched his head, and he would move my hand back to scratch position with his snout if I stopped. He and I did our nightly walk and talk, and we went to bed for the night. I awoke in the AM, and Beau passed quietly in his sleep that night. I was heartbroken. I sat for awhile, called the wife, and just could not move. I finally took my small e-tool and went to the back of the rest area, I dug, tears flowing. I do not know to this day if it was legal to bury Beau there but he would of wanted to be there out on the road. I placed his favorite blanket lining the hole, placed his bed, and a full food and water dish down, layed Beau down as he would sleep, covered him with my poncho liner, and there he rests, I took his “dogtag”
Dawg,
Beauregard T
and nailed it to a stake and placed it over him. Sat there for the rest of the day unable to drive, the load was going to be late, but I had a differant priority.
I still stop every chance I get, change the dogtag when needed, and just have a cup of coffee and sit there talkin to the Beau, and the tears still come. The saving grace is his grandson again named Beauregard T Dawg JR now shares my adventures on the road. My daughter gave me one of the pups from the liter of Beau’s daughter, and he will as his grandpa did move my hand to scratch position as we drive along the nations highways, bringing a small tear to the corner of my eye. I am in the truck now in Ohio, Beau JR laying at my feet. Wish I had a photo of Beau I could post, but all I have is the one on the dash. I am planning on stopping to get your book asap, and listen to your show daily. I totally understand why you wrote the book, I may sit and write a few memories myself of Beau, I think it would help me also.

John from Nebraska

Hello Mark. With great sadness I heard your story on air as I was driving yesterday. But I share your pain and joy. We too lost a family member that I still mourn to this day. It was 5 years ago. He was Andy, a rescue dog saved from the devastation wrought by hurricane Andrew .(hence the name) He was an angel sent by God the Father. I know it in my heart. You see, I met my future, now stilll loving wife, Marilyn, when he literally jumped up on her as she was moving in near my condo in Reston. Without this feat of affection from him towards her, I very likely would not have met her, nor would we have the 2 beautiful children, Patrick and Faith that we have today. Thank you Andy. Dear God, give him a “good boy” pat from all of us.
Thank you Mark for all your good work, may God bless and comfort you.

Woof woof,
Charles and Marilyn from Virginia

I lost my buddy Jake one year ago on November 3rd,2006. Needless to say I was not ready. He had recently been diagnosed with CHF and Kidney failure. The x-rays were the worst I had ever seen. But I still held out hope that the medication would keep him here at least for a couple of years. 3 months later, he was gone. He died in my arms. As a vet tech, I was used to death and helping grieving people cope. But it is so different when it is your own. I am still not over it and I miss him everyday. He had the most beutiful harp seal eyes I have ever seen. He could melt even the hardest of hearts. Wait for me at the first pulley buddy.

Stephanie from Texas

Mark – I wanted to tell you about Daisy. She was a precious small bundle of doggie love. She was a bischon frise who was a white fluffy babygirl. She lived for 18 years and I feel selfish for expecting my pain over losing her to have been delayed for even more years than that, but the day finally came when she had to be put down. I held her in my arms, wrapped in her pink baby blanket, as my son drove us to the Vet’s office and I could see that she knew she would not be coming back home again as she lay very quiet and very calm in my arms. I could not deal with saying goodbye to her so my son did the difficult task of being with her to the end as I walked out to the field behind the Vet’s office and waited so that I would not hear any sounds of pain or despair coming from her.In death, she did as in life, by bidding a more compassionate goodbye. The most amazing thing about her was that she taught me things about love that I could have never ever learned any other way.

Grace from Arizona

At our house it’s a zoo. Besides 3-kids at home(and the occassional Mother-in-Law),we have 4-cats, 4-dogs and 2-horses. They’re all well loved and thus well adjusted to each other and get along well.I’m sure you can imagine the stories. My reason for writing though, is to say thank you for all you do. All of it shows us along with your deep love for animals, the real definition of a compassionate conservative. God Bless you for that. What makes you tick is an example for us all! I would like to end with saying a little about a wonderful dog who left us a few years ago. Her name was Katie. Dog lovers may have many dogs in their lives and some may have 1 or 2 that are extra special.Katie was one of those dogs of a life time to me. She was always with me and very loving.Her life of 13-yrs. was full of fun stories,but it was in her death that she comforted me the most. She had broken her left front leg one night in the back yard. She was yelping very lowd in pain while trying to get up. As I approached, She calmed down at the sound of my voice and laid across my lap quietly while I examined her. This was the trust between us that stilled her. Being a weekend we paid the 2,200.00 for the opperation to fix her. The sad thing was the small tumor in her bone that caused the break. We got the results from the lab the next Wednesday. It was a very aggressive cancer. She was given 6 months. I made an aluminum brace that went around her back and supported her leg so she could still walk around the yard. She got to be good enough to run(or should I say thump) with it. She would even us it to do a fast pivot to change direction. Anyway She was pretty mobile. I just had to carry her up and down the stairs (75#s).We had her for another 10 months before She slipped a disc and became parylised. I cried and talked with Her for a long drive to the vet. She seemed to understand that it was finally time. She didn’t like living like this at all. When I laid Her on the table I could hardly see Her for the tears. She laid there calmly. After a final goodby,my vet gave Her Her shot… On Her last breath, I swear her spirit passed though me. It was an intense rush of love. She was telling me, “It’s OK. I’ll see you Later”. My tears stopped immediatley and calmed down. With Her passing energy She had taken care of Me again.
Thank You Mark.

Steve from Colorado

I had a little black poodle for 18 years, her name was Sugar. She died 4 years ago she had heart failure. The day she died I was affraid to put her down, it was liked she wanted to stay in my arms, I put her on the chair Ishe was trying to stay alive. So I keep saying to her its ok you can go, and she did.My husband cry like a baby. we still can’t stop loving her and missingn her.Mark I believe God has her in heaven. I listen to u every day wish u were on week end.

Dorothea from Texas