I am a police officer who deals with death regularly but I found it was very different when it was our family pet. We had a cat names Louis that was only 6 years old when he began having trouble breathing. He was a beautiful Manx with a Little stubby tail and Persian long fur. He was always looking for someone to pet him or to lay with. He didn’t bite or scratch he was always pleasant. I took him to the vet and had all kinds of test ran to only find he had cancer that was in his sinuses and there was nothing that could be done. The vet said he could go home and live another month or so. I could not leave him in pain and had to make the decision to let him to go sleep. I could not stay in the room when it was done but my wife did. I stayed in the waiting room with my daughter who was also very distraught. After it was done I had Louis cremated and placed in a very nice wooden box. To this day he sits on our mantel and we think about him all the time and talk about how Nice a cat he was.

Danny from TX

Mark, Read your book last evening and was so moved. My pillow was wet with tears, you made me feel as though I knew Sprite too. I will pray for Sprite’s soul every night, as we both know, dogs DO have souls and, eventually we will be united with them. They will there waiting for us. You are truly a remarkable individual. My brother just lost his beloved Millie and the pain just hasn’t gone away, when he’s ready, I have a copy of your book ready for him. God bless you!

Angela from NJ

I want to share my story of Max, a whippet mix, who came into my life 14 years ago. I lost him on August 19, 2007.

Max was my shadow. Wherever I was, he was. He was so patient and kind, allowing one of the other dogs at home to nibble at his whiskers until there were just stubs left. His eyes were always full of life. If eyes could smile, Max’s were always beaming. His way of saying hello was to jump up and down as high as he could go with his tongue hanging out and a huge smile on his little face. It was a hilarious sight.

He never quite got the hang of playing fetch, but he loved pretending to chase the balls around anyway. He loved to chase birds out of the yard, push his food dish all over the house with his nose, and hide my socks. After his dinner every night, he would come and jump on my lap and lay there while I rubbed his full belly. That was the special time we shared each day.

In August, Max started going downhill. He was 14 by then, and over the past year, he had really slowed down. The last weekend of Max’s life, he stopped eating and could no longer struggle up to walk on his own. When I woke up in the middle of the night to find that he had fallen off the bed and could not move from where he landed, I knew it was his time to move on from this life.
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Queenie The wonder dog
I have had many dogs in my life and each and everyone of them were a gift and a true blessing. My first do was Queenie, she was a black Lab mix. She came into our lives from a family member. When my family got her my brother and I were young kids. When we got Queenie she had a broken leg. She was stepped on by a family member as a puppy. Well Queenie’s injuries didn’t end there. If there ever was a Wonder Dog it was her. After her broken leg this little girl was hit by a truck, mauled by a Doberman and once she got out on us and had a one night stand. Well she came home pregnant and what a wonderful experience that was. My brother and I being in elementary school thought it was so cool that our dog was going to have puppies. My Dad at the time was working late so when it came time for the birth it was all up to Mom. She rushed Queenie to the vet and the pups couldn’t wait. Queenie was giving birth in the car. I don’t recall what happened next because I was home with a neighbor watching me but I remember Mom coming back home with Queenie. My Mom put queenie in a large cardboard box and she gave birth to the rest of the pups. Sad to say one was born breech and my Mom had to help Queenie along with that one. My Mom was always a trooper. No blood and guts ever got to her. Hell she raised two boy and we spilled enough of it. Seeing that pup be born dead was such a sorry thing. My neighbor who was a dog breeder said to get it away from Queenie ASAP.

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I want to share a few thoughts about the life of my close friend, Snowball the Dog. No, she was more than just a friend; she was a member of the family. I met Snowball nine years ago when I was picking up our Cocker Spaniel at the vet. The vet had two white German shepherd and Russian wolfhound puppies that were found on the road; they were two white balls of fur that had not been adopted and were on the way to the pound. They asked me if I wanted to adopt them, I was very hesitant until Snowball walked to me and we instantly became friends. The family fell in love with her and she stayed with us as we later moved from Chicago, IL, Cincinnati, OH, and Fort Worth, TX.

Snowball was a blessing from God. She gave us so much love and required very little in return (sometime snackers). I believe that she is a great example of God’s love in the world. She was a great protector, loving and faithful friend. I never had to worry about my family when Snowball was home. She was a large dog, 90 pounds with a big chest and a strong bark. Repair men, UPS delivers, solicitors knew who was in charge when they came to the house. She loved to go to the park for a walk and chase squirrels. When it was time, she would pick up her leash and say it’s time to go.
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Reggie (a Shi-Tzu mix) was received as a gift from friends in 1989. Kandi (a Toy Poodle) was adopted on the death of her owner in 1991. They became very close with Kandi running the show. We were the best of friends and companions for the next 14+ years. Reggie went blind and became diabetic in 2000 requireing me to give him insulin injections twice a day. Kandi developed pulmonary prolapse which also required medication each day. Neither of their health problems took away their zest for life and we continued to enjoy our time together. In 2004 I was required to leave for 4 days to attend the funeral of my brother-in-law. I boarded them with their veterinarian. When I returned Dr. Warren, their Veterinarain, called me aside and told me that Kandi had died during the night. He said that when he came in Reggie was wrapped around Kandi protecting her. He also said that Reggie was listless and could not stand up and did not know if Reggie would survive the loss of Kandi. We agreed that he would observe Reggie at his home overnight and make a recommendation the next day. His recommendation was that we should euthanize Reggie and I agreed. (Reggies health had deteriorated during the past year and the decision was based on that as well as the current situation). I spent the next four hours reminescing with Reggie. He talked to me in his own way and I knew by his demeanor that he wanted to say goodby. I kissed him and then Dr. Warren took him. I had Reggie and Kandi wrapped together in their favorite blanket and buried in a beautiful pet cemetary where I visit them regularly. You can imagine the shock and anguish I felt at loseing both of them in this way and within 2 days of each other. I will always cherish the memory of our
freinship and companionship. I carry a lock of their hair and their picture in my wallet and many pictures of them adorn my home. I received more then 50 condolence cards which shows the compassion of people who understand the bond between a master and his canine pals.

Best Wishes, Stan from TX