Thanks for writing Rescuing Sprite. We just had to put our dog to rest and much of our Casey’s last days (pacing, etc) were similar to Sprite’s. We had other similarities, too, such as cremation and final resting place.

When the end was near, we also wondered which day was to be best, and could we put it off a few more days. We took Casey to the vet and we usually had to be firm on the leash to bring him in. On the last day, he slipped out of the car and walked to the vet’s door and laid down, waiting for us to catch up. Clearly, he was telling us it was the right time.

— Steve from Hawley, PA

When I heard Mark talk about poor Griffin with a bladder tumor tonight, I just had to post a picture of my little boy Rags. He too had a tumor in his bladder. He also wore doggie underpants and if I don’t mind saying, looked mighty fine in them. But as you can see by the photo, Rags could always wear clothes well. This photo was taken during my stage mother period. I had Campbells Soup as a client & was working with them on anti-fraud campaign for their workers compensation program. I was convinced Rags was going to be the next McGruff Take a Bite Out of Crime dog. Alas, it was not to be. But I got a lot of free soup. And Rags was the best dog that ever was.

— Jeanne from Drexel Hill, PA

Our 19 year old dog was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney desease and rather than put her down we made a home hospice for Brandy, a beagle shepard mix. Her legs were weak as was her bladder but we changed her bedding all day and took her outside every day to smell her yard. The last few weeks we watched her 24/7 to attend to her needs and sometimes to just calm her anxiety. She fought so hard and ate all her favorite human meals until about the last few days. Even then she fought and fussed and loved getting comfort and finally on election day morning I came in after voting, petted her and calmed her down from what was going to be (I thought) another full day of her fighting. After a 2 hour nap I came down and started talking to her not realising that she was gone. She just went to sleep and never woke up.
We had a long day of goodbyes and my wife (who owned her since she was a pup) held her and tried to prepare herself for the final goodbye, as did her 14 year old son. We buried her in her yard….with her favorite toy, a piece of steak and we even sprinkled bacon bits over her. Such a blessed sweet dog. and Friend.
My wife (Tyna) is still having a terrible struggle with her grief…this was her dog and when she came down with congestive heart failure at age 32 Brandy was by her side every moment she was convalescing. We actually miss staying up all hours to tend to her needs because through it all she was sweet and strong. They’ll never be a stronger dog than her….19 years and 4 months old. Our house is too quiet without her. And Tyna is heartbroken beyond belief.

— Mike from Toledo, OH

I recently lost my Shiba Inu, Max to what we can only guess was a spider bite. He was only 6 and too young to go. I had many more years of things I had planned to do with him. I found him in a shelter over 6 years ago before I even knew what a Shiba Inu was. I was used to cattle dogs so adjusting to a cat/dog took a little time. You can never let them off leash because they’ll take off to parts unknown. That’s how I thought I would lose him. He’d get loose and I’d never see him again. All our others dogs lived to old age and had sicknesses so we were prepared but this was unexpected. I’ve been having a hard time. I continually play the “what if” game. What if I had taken him to vet sooner? He’d had allergies before, plus he and the other dog had been at it over a bone a couple of days earlier, so we didn’t think much about him chewing the hair off his hip. 36 hours later he was dead. They tell me that even if I had brought him in that morning, it wouldn’t have help. I’ve never been this close to one of my dogs before. He was MY dog, my buddy, my constant companion and I felt like I failed him. He left me on Sept 21 and I still have trouble accepting it but at least I’m not crying anymore.

— Joni from Denton, TX

Keno was our dog. That sentence seems so incomplete and inadequate. Between the day my wife, Pam, brought home this battered, tattered and obviously abused puppy from a mall’s parking lot to the day over 12 years later that she passed away, Keno was so much more.

Our middle dog, Keno was at times daughter, sister and mother. We had Millie, the matriarch, 16 at the time she passed away a year ago, and Cubby our 5 year old (picture Marley on steroids….. if you’ve seen the movie Marley and Me you’ll understand). During those almost 13 years we never had a day where she was a primary concern. Despite two attacks by unleashed dogs, two torn ACL’s in both hind legs, a complete swollen and closed eye due to a tooth infection and a pepper spraying and beating by home invaders, Keno never whined or demanded attention.

She jumped higher and ran faster than almost any dog I ever saw (ask the squirrels she terrorized in our back yard, especially the one she brought into our living room one summer day). Even after both hind legs were damaged due to the torn ACL’s, Keno ran as fast as she could with Cubby in the back yard chasing birds, squirrels and balls.

She would never demand attention, just lifting her head toward you ever so slightly when you passed her lying on the floor, looking out the front door watching life pass by, so you could give her a few pats on the head and then continue watching the world.

She filled our lives with love while demanding none. Keno was our dog.

— Jeff from Van Nuys, CA

My wife Amy and my two boys, Connor and Cameron, were blessed with our sweet and lovable Australian Labradoodle about 2 years ago. His name is Crosby after the hockey player Sidney Crosby. We are huge hockey fans and love the Pittsburgh Pens. We bought Crosby a Penguin jersey, which we were fortunate to have Sidney Crosby sign. Of course, we display the jersey proudly in our family room. Mark, thanks for your love of dogs and your love of this country. You have been a huge inspiration to my entire family.

— Joel from Johnstown, PA