I wanted to share with you a few words about my best friend, Snowball. I met Snowball at our vet’s office in the Chicago area and we instanlty became friends. She was a white small ball of fur and some friends of the vet found her and her brother on the side of the road. Snowball was a white german shepherd and russian wolfhound. I adopted her, but already had a dog so I couldn’t sneak two puppies home without my wife freaking out. From the time I brought her home, everyone fell in love with her. She was a great protector, a failthful friend and always happy to see me when I came home from work. She gave all she had, but only asked for a little love (and a few snackers) in return. I never had to be concerned about the safety of my wife and children at home while Snowball was in charge. She was a faithful guardian of the house and let visitors know not to mess with our family.

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Hunter came to live with us as the result of my son’s divorce. He was a yellow lab cross, but looked exactly like “Ole Yeller” of the movie. He was a wonderful loving dog who loved to chase squirrels, and swim in the small lake next to our property, and go uninvited to our neighbors Bar-B-Ques. Many was the time our phone would ring and tell us Hunter was enjoying the party too much and would we please come get him.

The story of Hunter’s bravery takes place in 1991. Four years before a young woman came to live with us and help me around the house. At the time we didn’t know she was pregnant, but 8 months later she gave birth to a son named Michael. As Michael grew older he and Hunter became the best of pals….Hunter followed him everwhere. On summer day in 1991 when Michael was about 4 he slipped away from his mother and when directly to the bridge over the nearby lake. Of course, Hunter followed him. Somehow Michael slipped and fell headlong into the water. He was crying and gasping for air when Hunter jumped into the water. Michael grabbed Hunter’s collar and swam him to the bank where by that time his mother was waiting. My Spanish isn’t very good but I can just imaging the tongue lashing Michael got. By the way, he never pulled that trick again.
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I posted before with my Sweetpea.. and since I have read each and every one of your posts. I keep kleenex handy because I shed tears for your losses and tears for your joy and love for your pets. I thank Mark Levin for this forum. ( hug to Mark)

My Sweetpea was preceded by Lucky. Her full name in the AKC file was LadyLuck but Lucky just stuck.

I got her at 12 weeks old and she was the absolute best puppy. She grew to be a kind sweet dog who loved everyone, and everyone loved her. Neighborhood kids would ring my bell and ask…can Lucky come out with us to play? She was my shadow… somehow always managed to be at my side. 24/7 she was with me as my work is at home.

She got cancer. Pancreatic. I don’t know how or why. She had surgery and they gave her two weeks to live and suggested I put her to sleep. I said NO. She lived happily for five more months until the Tuesday that was election day when I woke up to find her almost lifeless.

I took her to the vet. Lucky did not know me after all our years together. I asked the vet.. ‘ is it time’? She said yes. So I held her in my arms while the shot was administered. I walked out of there with a roll of paper towels used as Kleenex.. sobbing. Had to go directly to the polling place to vote. So I did. Sobbing like a fool with a paper towel and I didnt care what I looked like. I was in mourning. I told the election judge I had just had a death in the family. That is how much I loved her.
So, I will post this photo. It is small but one of Lucky looking up to the sky.

Linda from IL

We adopted Belle from a working couple, both of whom had full-time jobs and had Belle in her cage all day long while they were at work. They were looking to place her in a home where she would have some freedom and not be left alone and caged all day long. My wife stays at home raising our 4 year old son so Belle was a good fit for our family. So, in March 2007 at the tender age of 1 year old, Belle became an official part of our family.

Belle is a Jack Russell terrier and I have never seen a dog with so much energy. Her favorite game is tug-of-war. As soon as I get home from work, Belle runs for one of her toys and begins barking to get my attention. An energetic game of tug of war then begins.

She has been a great companion to our family.

One of Belle’s other favorite pastimes is venturing on to our neighbor’s farm to play with their Jack Russell, which is 11 years old and doesn’t have the same level of energy that Belle has. After about an hour or so of chasing around the older dog, Belle will then triumphantly return home.

Jim from NJ

I have a Power Point Presentation that Mark may be interested in. It features photos of dogs with inspiring messages and the song “You are so beautiful” sung by Joe Cocker. The file is too large to send here, but if you’re interested in looking at it send me an email and I’ll get it out to you. Here’s a picture of my beloved cat who passed away two years agot. My wife and I had her cremated and we still have her ashes. Her name was Spot.

 Kent from NJ

My best friend’s name is Gonzo. He’s named after Ted Nugent, because this little guy is CRAZY! A friend found him along a busy highway in his neighborhood while on his way to work one morning. He posted signs with pictures, called the pound to see if anyone was looking for him and drove around all weekend talking to neighbors to see if someone was missing a dog. After trying his best to find the dogs home, he asked me to adopt Gonzo since a new baby and a new dog would be too much to handle. I was reluctant at first, but I took Gonzo into my home and have never had a better friend! He’s always glad to see me, he will fetch a toy or play chase on a whim, and I can play with other friends dogs and he doesn’t get jealous. Too bad I can’t find a woman like Gonzo, but without the hair all over her body! There’s no better friend than a good dog, and I don’t know what I would do without Gonzo in my life.

Tom from Texas