As an animal lover, I found my true love at a pet rescue on July 3, 1995. My husband and I named him Brutus (chihuahua mix). He was all ears when we got him at 3 months old. He has been our best friend throughout the years. He was always there for us through thick and thin. He loved us unconditionally. It is with a sad heart that we lost our beloved little man on July 20 at the age of 15. We know that he lived a great life with us and got to travel to many new locations. Our hearts still ache for him, but we know that we will see him again at the Rainbow Bridge. We are getting through it, but we still miss him a lot.

— Donna from Ooltewah, TN

I love dogs more than myself. I have three. Our black Cocker, Wiley is 15 years old. Her pancreas and liver shut down 4 years ago and the vet did not think she would survive. But she did. She reminds me of Griffin. Now she is old and feeble but still wants to run with the big dogs.

I can relate to your stories about Sprite and Griffin. I do anything and everything for her and her two buddies. It touches my heart to listen to your story about Griffin’s cancer. I wish you and Griffin all the best. Every time I am caring for Wiley I think of what you did for Sprite and Griffin. I know she won’t be with us for very much longer. I admire her spunk and love of life and her “I won’t quit attitude.” I have a huge lump in my throat. Pardon me, but I have to move on.

Our other dog, a chocolate Cocker, Maggie was returned to the breeder by an older couple that thought she was too aggressive. Not true. She is a sweet, devoted buddy. You might say we rescued her. She is 7 and takes care of me like a nursemaid. I have Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a rare liver disease that Chicago Bears, Walter Payton #34 had. She has insight that defies human understanding.

Marcie is our white Standard Poodle we rescued from a shelter in Racine, WI. She is about 4 years old and a wonderful dog. I can’t imagine why anybody would abandon her. She is so devoted and loving.

I wish people could be like dogs. Imagine how much better society would be!

— Paul from Spring Grove, IL

My Shelby dog died just over a year ago. She was a sweet and loving German Shepherd who was an integral part of our family. It was tough losing her and her wonderful spirit.

Shelby was my walking partner – twice each day, everyday. We walked in the rain. We walked in the snow. We walked before daylight and we walked at night. Shelby loved fetching sticks and she loved other animals. I miss her deeply.

Just recently, I began working as a dog walking volunteer at our Animal Shelter. Now I have an entire kennel full of wonderful, loving animals.

The resiliency of these shelter dogs inspires me each and every day. Once escorted outside their cage, they awake to the sights, sounds and smells of the outside world. Happily, their “dog-ness” returns almost immediately.

I begin each walk using my “baby-talk” speak which helps set the tone for our short journey. Each animal reveals a little about themselves, their background, their training, their needs and their preferences. My goal for each animal is to establish a trusting relationship so as to maximize their brief time outside in the fresh air.

Many of my dogs were previously owned. Many were house-trained. Many are used to walking on a leash while others are often scared to death of cars, humans and loud sounds.

But I learn something from each animal I walk. Their backgrounds are as varied as life itself and my hope for each of them is that they find a good, safe and loving home.

I do have my favorites and once they are adopted I am saddened. Yet, I know that a part of me is with them – my smells, my “baby-talk” and my memories.

— Thomas from Raleigh, NC

I read Rescuing Sprite when it was released and laughed and wept all through it.  Didn’t know I would be saying goodbye to my 9 1/2 year old German Shepherd Dog (Maximillian vom Osterburg) six months later.  He died withing a couple hours of Cardio Myapathy.  We returned home from watching my daughter win her first State Championship with her High School Soccer team and looking forward to a great Fathers day the following day.  Max had other plans.  His heart just gave out.  We checked on him every hour all night long.  I was planning on taking him to the Vet in the morning, he seemed OK, just breathing slowly.  I fell asleep and woke up an hour later and he was gone.  He was laying in our walk in closet (he went there during thunderstorms)  The Vet told me there was nothing I could do.  His heart was slowly shutting down.  He assured me just laying with him was the only thing to do. Dogs hearts are different he told me.  I’ll say, they live for our scraps, are so fully devoted and will do anything for us.  This is by far the best deal man has ever made.  We had Max cremated and buried him under his favorite tree where he would often lay and watch the deer in our back field.  Within two weeks my daughter (the soccer player) and I drove 600 miles round trip to a town south of Indianapolis to pick our new German Shepherd Dog (Lucy vom Kriegershaus).  She is such a lover and companion but there isn’t a day that goes by I don’t think of Max

— Todd from Kalamazoo, MI

I am an avid cat lover (sorry Mark). I have 4 cats that I am very attached to.

The one I had to put down 8 years ago, was the one I will never forget. Buckwheat was a beautiful all black cat that I am pretty sure had some Siamese in him. He was so very intelligent. He understood everything I told him and did whatever I asked of him….sometimes willingly…sometimes not so much.

He had a heart murmur all of his life. I treated it w/ medicine but when he was a month shy of his 14th birthday, he threw a clot. He lost feeling and control from his waste down. There was nothing the vet could do and very unexpectedly, without warning I was by myself having to put my beloved baby down. It will be 8 years this October and I still miss him and have some moments of severe grief.

I really got the agony that you, Mark, went through with Sprite (I just finished the book). I don’t know whether quick and unexpected is better than time to say goodbye but either way it is painful.

I believe that Buckwheat is waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge with all the other beloved pets I (and others) have lost and when it is my time, I will meet them there and we will cross over the bridge to the Pearly Gates together. This is a great comfort to me.

In the meantime, I am raising 4 other Kitty Kids and loving every minute. Even when I am threatening them to sell them to the Gypsies for free!

— Chris from Indianapolis, IN

Chrissie has been a part of our family for over 17 years. Chrissie has added so much to our lives. Chrissie is not a good pet. She is a wonderful pet.

Chrissie grew up with our two children who are now in their 20s.. Both were young when we got her.

Anatole France said, “Until one has loved an animal, a part of on”s soul remains unawakened.” I firmly believe this. Pets enrich our lives in ways that are hard to explain and in some ways are mystical.

There are so many wonderful memories of Chrissie.One of the early memories of Chrissie that illustrates her sweet nature was when she was probably a year old. One weekend morning, my wife, JoAnne came in from the backyard holding two baby birds. Chrissie was following JoAnne as she showed me these delicate creatures. She told me that Chrissie had come to her with the baby birds in her mouth unharmed. Apparently they had fallen out of their nest onto the ground and Chrissie had picked them up and taken them to JoAnne.

By the way, we took them to our vet who called one of the bird rescue organizations.

Chrissie never met a ball that wasn’t hers. When I was playing golf regularly, I would practice hitting golf balls in the yard with plastic golf balls. I would hit and Chrissie would run to the ball, get it and take it to a designated spot. Another hit and the same thing. I ran out of balls as she accumulated them for herself. Her favorite toy was a short rope tied in knots at both ends. We would throw it but she would never bring it back. She loved having us yank her around with the chew toy firmly in her mouth.A soft playful growl could be heard as we played.

In her later years,she had seizures,developed cataracts,lost her hearing, and walked slower because of some back problems. However, none of those things seemed to affect her or her personality.

Fortunately we were able to control her seizures with phenobarbitol. And like most Cockers, she was always getting ear infections.

We would get medicine from the vet and JoAnne would lovingly clean her ears to help prevent the infections.

After each cleaning, she would give JoAnne a kiss and head to the kitchen for her treat for being such a good patient.

This happened after baths also. It was a well established routine.

Whenever we leave the house, she is always at the window watching us.

When we arrive back, she is always at the window watching for us and then  greeting us at the door.

I have always feared looking in the window and not seeing her face.

There will never be another Chrissie and we cherish the time we still have with her.

–Walt from Tallahassee, FL