like hearing about all those “dog” stories. I love dogs; have had a few (we met a family who became good friends when our German shepherd killed their chicken when I was about two or three). But my story is not about dogs but cats … one who adopted us (she was “great with children”) and two rescuees.

When I got out of the Navy my family (wife, son and daughter) and I moved to Joplin, MO. The house we rented was home to a calico cat, a real neighborhood trollop! She was READY to deliver. About a week later she had four: an orange tabby male (“Tiger”), a silver tabby female (“Flash”), a black tabby female (“Fluffy”), and a black tabby male (“Arthur”, or “Arturo Toss-a-Kitty” for obvious reasons because he was always being tossed off the bed when Mom was making it).
Read the rest of this entry »

rufus and i were super tight. he went everywhere with me, and we were together 24 hours a day with rare exception. he was so tuned-in to me that the slightest silent gesture was sufficient to communicate a command; one that was instantly obeyed. this went on for six years. i really loved him.

i went to europe for a summer and left him with a girlfriend. the summer became 2 years.

when i returned i was eager to reunite with my longtime tight partner. he growled at me.

at first i was hurt by this, but soon realized that he simply had a new pack leader now.

we don’t elevate animals by attributing human characteristics to them, we diminish the unique nature of being human. referring to the instinctual behavior of a pet’s bonding with what is in essence its pack leader and pack as “unconditional love” is such an example.
another would be when sean hannity recently repeatedly referred to michael vick’s dog killing as murder.

dogs are wonderful, but please, keep things in perspective.

Archer from CA

Dear Mark: Your book arrived this afternoon and I just finished it. This was the most beautiful story I have read in my 72 years on this earth. I could not put it down….skipped dinner….didn’t answer the phone…could not be interrupted. You have fast forwarded adopting pets from shelters and rescue groups years. Thank you and your lovely family for sharing your deep love and affection for pets. Having worked in rescue for many years, you would like to know all homes would provide what Sprite received from your family. I have witnessed the most adoring looks of devotion between animal and new owner many times. Everyone should try it at least once. My Hannah 10, Jaz 7 and Sam 12 brings hours of joy to my husband and myself, the nextdoor neighbors, the neighborhood, the delivery guys, the mailman, our children, grandchildren, vets, groomers, and all the bike riders. They give them a fit! Having them ride in the cars bring smiles from other drivers. Only a dog could instantly bring happiness so suddenly. Enjoy your new love, Griffen. You have a very wise wife. Can hardly wait to hear that you book is No. 1!

Thank you for writing Rescuing Sprite.

Ann from NC

“HER INTERNAL ORGANS ARE QUITE GOOD, BUT SHE HAS VERY ADVANCED ARTHRITIS, AND HER HIPS AND RIGHT FRONT LEG ARE READY TO BREAK,” THE VET EXPLAINED, DISPLAYING YOUR XRAY. “SHE HAS A FEW MONTHS, BUT THEN YOU’LL HAVE TO HAVE HER PUT TO SLEEP. OH — THESE BIG BLACK AREAS IN HER INTESTINE ARE GAS BUBBLES.” FOR $150 I COULD HAVE TOLD HIM ABOUT THOSE GAS BUBBLES. WE’VE HAD TO CORNER THE MARKET ON ROOM SPRAY.

I THINK OF THE LAST ALMOST TWELVE YEARS, AND HOW WE WENT THROUGH THE DEATH OF OUR FAMILY; HOW YOU PINED FOR MOM; AND, HOW, TOGETHER, WE FOUND DADDY DEAD IN HIS BED. WHEN THEY CAME TO TAKE HIM AWAY, I SAT WITH YOU ON THE BATHROOM FLOOR, TRYING TO CALM YOU, YOUR ANIMAL INSTINCTS HAVING RECOGNIZED DEATH.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT YOU: THE TIME I WAS TEASING YOU WITH MY HAD UNDER THE COVERS, AND YOU BIT MY NOSE THROUGH THE BLANKET. WE THOUGHT I’D HAVE TO GO THE HOSPITAL, BUT THE REDNESS AND PAIN WENT AWAY IN THREE HOURS. THE TIME WE HIKED THE INDIAN HOLY MOUNTAIN, PRAYING AT ITS MOST SACRED SITE WHERE I LEFT OFFERINGS OF COFFEE AND FLOUR. THEN YOU LEFT YOUR OFFERING. I CERTAINLY HOPE THE RANGER DIDN’T FIND IT. AND THE TIME YOU ATE ALL THAT CHINESE FOOD AND THREW UP ON THE RUG, AND I HAD TO CLEAN IT. THEN THERE WAS THE TIME YOU BUTTED ME IN THE BEHIND AND ALMOST KNOCKED ME INTO THE LITTLE BIGHORN RIVER, AND ALL THE TOURISTS WERE LAUGHING.

YOU CERTAINLY HAVE YOUR FAULTS. YOU’VE GOT ENOUGH EAR WAX TO GO INTO THE BUSINESS. YOU MOST ASSUREDLY HAVE THE INVENTORY. YOU HAVE TO BE THE SLOPPIEST EATER IN THE WORLD; YOUR FOOD ALWAYS WINDS UP THREE FEET FROM THE BOWL; AND, YOU’RE DEFINITELY THE LOUDEST DRINKER ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. LORD KNOWS WHEN YOU GET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND START LAPPING WATER, THEY MUST HEAR YOU IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. — GOD I LOVE YOU!

WHEN THE TIME COMES THAT THE WICKED DEED MUST BE DONE, I WILL HOLD YOU IN MY ARMS AS THE DOCTOR GIVES YOU THE SHOT SO THAT YOU MAY DIE IN MY EMBRACE. THEY SAID IT WILL ONLY TAKE FIVE SECONDS. YOU WILL REJOIN OUR FAMILY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE; AND, I WILL BE LEFT HERE ALONE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF ETERNITY, OUR FAMILY GONE, FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL DOES NOT MAKE A FAMILY. AND WHEN PEOPLE ASK WHY I GRIEVE FOR A STINKY DOG, I WILL TELL THEM THAT DOG, SPELLED BACKWARDS, IS GOD.

BOO WENT TO HEAVEN ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1998.

Diana from Arizona

This picture is of the best friend I’ve ever had. Through the best of times and the worst of times, he was there. Max was a great example of what a Weimaraner can be. I got him as a 10-week old pup who had been the male pick of the 10-pup litter. He had already survived the adversity of his mother trying to thin down the number of pups, and had to be hand-fed. This was,in a way, a harbinger of things to come. He came home with me, a happy little guy, who soon became ill from a reaction to a vaccine, as some Weimaraners do. 3 weeks and 1200 dollars in vet bills later, I had a skinny little pup, who soon grew.. and grew, and grew, eventually becoming as large as a Weim is ever supposed to be. He housetrained amazingly quickly, and never really barked until one day at 5 months, he went outside, and announced himself to the world. One big Woof and that was enough. He never was much of a barker. As time went on, Max became a show champion, a field dog, and an all-around companion. He always did have a bit of a hard-luck streak going. (eating a bit of sheet metal, cuts, bleeding, rose thorns that barely missed his eyes, etc).
He was there through the last of my college days, the decline and loss of my father and the childhood of my 2 nephews. He and the first of my nephews were but weeks apart.

Read the rest of this entry »

We had to put down our precious 13 year old Yorkie, Sugar, almost three years ago. She was the first dog we had as “empty nesters”, and she was our baby. She not only slept in our bed, she slept on the pillow with one of us part of the night and on the other pillow the rest of the night. If I was holding her in my arms when my husband came in from work, he kissed her before he kissed me. She developed fluid on her heart when she was ten. Low doses of medicine worked for about a year, then it had to be increased. Our vet told us the medicine would eventually cause kidney failure but taking her off the medicine would cause her to die of heart failure. January 21, 2005, I took her to the vet to have her teeth cleaned. I authorized his doing blood work before putting her under for the cleaning. An hour later, the vet called me with the news that Sugar was already in kidney failure and couldn’t live more than a week. The vet said she would most likely have a seizure, and it could happen any time. My husband was going to leave on a week-long ski trip the next day, and I knew I couldn’t face her dying without him; nor could he have stood not being with her. So we made the decision to have her put down at 6:00 that evening. When I picked Sugar up from the vet, I took her home to do all of her favorite things and eat her favorite foods.

Sugar had loved to take showers and baths since she was a puppy. If we’d have let her, she would have taken a shower with us every day. If bath water was running and the door was open, she was in the tub. So she and I took a shower that day, I dryed her hair with her snuggled in a towel in my lap, and I let her eat all the Lipton’s Chicken Noodle soup that she wanted…one of her favorite foods but one I hadn’t given her in three years because of her heart problem and the high amount of sodium in the soup. Our daughter and her children came over to tell Sugar goodbye, and we all cried together. My husband came home from work early, and we loved on her until 6:00 when we took her to the vet, who allowed us to bring her in after his office was closed. I held her in my arms while the vet put the needle in her leg. She closed her eyes and was gone. Our vet and his assistant cried with us. and consoled us. My husband went on the ski trip which was the best thing for him to do. I stayed home and grieved for a week which was the best thiing for me to do. Two weeks later we brought home our new baby, another Yorkie named Sweetie. She hasn’t taken the place of Sugar, but she has eased the pain. Sweetie responds to “Sugar” because everyone slips and calls her that. I look forward to reading your book…even though I know I’m going to bawl my eyes out.

Gloria from Texas