This is one of the kindest things I’ve ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
Read the rest of this entry »

Is it sad that my dog Abby is one of my best friends?? A few weeks ago, I was watching a Nooma video (Series by Rob Bell) and he was talking about the Jewish Custom of “Sitting Shiva,” where the close family and friends of a mourner would come and just sit with them for seven days. No talking, no Wake, no food or “Celebration of Life,” but just sitting, mourning, and grieving.

Silence…

Isn’t it funny, but that is what Abby does with me. Sure, she’s a dog, but you have no idea how many times she has performed the duty of “Sitting Shiva.” I have not experienced many deaths, but I have experienced many deep hurts, and when I am grieving, Abby just sits with me. Pearl is a different story-she is a puppy and she needs ritalin, but Abby is mature and thoughtful-and she just sits. Sometimes when I lay across my bed and cry-she just comes and licks my face as if to say, “I am here for you.” She asks no questions, gives no advice, she just sits.

Kathy from MD

I have not had the chance to read your book yet, but I can imagine the strife that you are going through.

When I was younger, still in high school, we had the opportunity to rescue a Rottweiler from a ranch in Oklahoma. I named him Chakotay, but we ended up calling him Koti for short. He instantly became part of our family and our other pets took to him quite well, especially the American Eskimo Husky named Angel who had been a member of our family for years. To see this huge black mass and this small white puff of a dog rolling and playing together was a humerous event.

We soon came to realize that Koti had been previously mistreated. He would run the instant you picked up a garden hose and got very nervous when someone was right in his face. I decided to trian him myself and he learned amazingly fast. Within weeks he would respond vocal or signal commands instantly.
Read the rest of this entry »

About 6 mo’s ago our 2 yr old Puggle, Meeko, needed a companion, so we called the local shelter and they told us they just brought in a dog who had been living on the street. We took Meeko in to meet him, and they played well together, so we took him home and named him Louie. He was a sorry sight, crooked tail, a cyst on his forehead, and was very, very thin, but his tail wagged a lot. Being part beagle and part dachshund, he has traits of both. He looks like a dachshund and barks like a beagle. The vet said he was about 7-10 mo’s old.
He wouldn’t let us too near at first, backed away when we tried to pet him, and we decided all he needed was time.
He has a lot of survival skills that he now uses to dump all the garbage out, get into waistbaskets and strew the contents as far as possible, sneaks downstairs to eat the cat food.
We have enjoyed his different personality and like seeing him trust us more each day. Somebody said we should have named him “Nathan Detroit”
Louie is now a permanent part of our family.

Nancy from IL

My dear mark..You hve really touched my heart. I am a regular listener, even though I am canadian I find your radio station brillant, right on point..I am especially moved by your love for your dear friend sprite and the the love and compassion you show to your pets, is a winderful thing. Dogs give us so much without asking for much back..awalk,a secial treat a good rub. I am sitting hear listening to your nov1st download, you are playing your are so beautiful to me . Tears are streaming down my cheeks…

My story is one of love,strength and sadness. I have a very dear friend, her name is ebby, she is a dalmation a real sweet heart loves people especially kids. She is12yrs old. Last summer I became deathly ill ffrom necrotizing faciitis(flesh eating disease)I spent 4 days in the icu and was given a 10% chance of surving I had surgeries that removed most of the flesh from my abdomen.. I truly believe the reason I am alive today is because of ebby, don’t get me wrong I have a loving and caring husband and sons. My husband bought ebby to the hospital to see me even at my worst time, one time they even allowed her to spend the night laying beside me . I found out later when I was a bit better that they thought I wdn’t make it through the night. I believe she gave me the strength to keep fighting. I owe her so much, my deep sadness is that she is dying of heart faulure and kidney disease. I know her days are numbered.I feel so helpless that I can’t help her like she helped me and continues to this day to help me recover.Everyday she keeps me smiling with asking nothing in return.I don’t know how when the day comes to put her down how I will get through it., but I will and I have to be there for her . like she was for me in my hour of need. I certainly owe her that much. I will buy your book mark.I know your book will give me the strength, and help me cope with what so many people have to go through when you bring a pet into your life.. You said it so well today in a quote from your book ‘Time is always to short with the ones you love ‘ Thanks in advance Friend God bless you.

Susy from Canda

Just a quick note that I had to have my dog Molly put to sleep on the morning September 18th, 07 when I got home from working a 24 hour shift on an ambulance. I almost had to put her to sleep about 4 months earlier, she was in the end stage her kidney disease. The doctor gave us a some options of home care that I could perform and she responded well, but in the last two weeks her body just started giving up. The vet said we did a great job with her and that the extra time she had were good times, she wasn’t in any pain or discomfort, but her body was just old a tired.

Please keep us in prayer, we feel a very deep sense of loss, all who knew Molly loved her, she would just win you over with her gentle and kind nature…and her beautiful amber eyes just made it all the harder to resist loving her. It was hard to walk in the door and see her pillow by the couch. To know that I would never see her again step out of my office with her ears perked up and looking to see me walking in the front door. I think what I will miss most is when she would sit next to me when I was in my office chair and I would pet her. As soon as I would stop she would gently raise her paw and tap me on the foot to remind me that she was still there.

When my wife and I were at the vet with Molly it was very sad, even the tech’s were sniffling and try to hold back the tears, trying to be strong for us. I held Molly’s head in the palm of my hands and she had a peace about her. She wasn’t shivering or twitching, it was as if she was trying to be strong for us, trying to tell us that we had made the right decision and that everything was going to be okay. As the doctor gave Molly the injection I began to see her eyes grow heavy and then it was just as if she went to sleep. Her eyes closed (as much as they could, we were told that they never fully close, but in this case it looked like they had closed about 95%) and her breathing began to slow. I finally laid her head down to the table and kept my hands under her jaw so as to let her head rest in my hands. The vet then for what seemed like a minute or two listened for any heart sounds, then he pronounced her. I kissed Molly several time, thanking God in my heart for having given us such a wonderful gift that she was.

As my wife and I left the vets office I was reflecting how it was ironic that when Molly was a puppy, I had gone with my mother to pick her up, and on the way to my moms house Molly had sat in my lap. Today, as my wife drove to the vets office Molly and I were in the back seat and she rested in my lap being held in my arms…her life ended the way it began, in my arms.

Robert from TX