Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish

by Mark R. Levin

Overview

In Rescuing Sprite, Mark Levin tells of the joy and anguish of life with a rescue dog: the intimate and powerful story of his family and the dog they have for too short a time.

Although Mark Levin is known as a constitutional lawyer and a nationally syndicated broadcaster, he is, first and foremost, a dog lover. In 1998, he and his family welcomed a half-Border Collie/half-Cocker Spaniel they named Pepsi into their lives. Six years later, his wife and son persuaded him to adopt a dog from the local shelter, a Spaniel mix. It turned out he was older than originally thought, and he was the most beautiful dog they'd ever seen. They named him Sprite. Their lives would never be the same.

Sprite and Pepsi became fast friends. They did everything together, from rummaging through the trash to loudly greeting the deliveryman. And the Levin family fell in love with him — with his gentle nature, beautiful face and soft, huggable fur. But on Halloween night, shortly after joining their family, Sprite suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the animal hospital. It was the first of many such visits, and the start of a long journey for the Levin family, filled with much joy and anguish.

During the next two years, Sprite and Pepsi were inseparable. And Sprite's bond with the Levin family deepened. Friends, neighbors, and even Mark's radio audience came to know and love Sprite. As Mark's daughter turned eighteen and graduated from high school and Mark's son turned fifteen, Sprite's health deteriorated — even as his spirits remained high and his beauty and grace continued to inspire. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2006, the Levin family said their emotional final goodbye. Crushed and consumed with grief, Mark turned to family, friends, and fans for help.

But new hope came when the Levins least expected it.

Rescuing Sprite is a stunningly intimate look at the love between a family and a dog, one that movingly shows, in Mark Levin's words, that "in the end, we humans are the lucky ones."

The author will donate a portion of his proceeds from the sale of this book to animal shelters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781439165430
Publisher:	Gallery Books
Publication date:	10/13/2009
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	111,520
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Mark R. Levin, nationally syndicated talk-radio host, host of LevinTV, chairman of Landmark Legal Foundation, and the host of the new Fox News show Life, Liberty, & Levin, is the author of five consecutive New York Times #1 bestsellers: Liberty and Tyranny, Plunder and Deceit, Rediscovering Americanism, Ameritopia, and The Liberty Amendments. Liberty and Tyranny spent three months at #1 and sold more than 1.5 million copies across formats. His books Men in Black and Rescuing Sprite were also New York Times bestsellers. Levin was a top adviser to several members of President Ronald Reagan’s cabinet. He holds a BA from Temple University and a JD from Temple University Law School. Follow Mark Levin on Twitter and Facebook or visit MarkLevinShow.com.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

Who would have thought I'd write a book about a dog named Sprite? Well, actually, about a dog named Pepsi,too, and another one named Griffen.

Every dog lover has a dog story. This is mine.

For most of my life, my passions have involved big goals and big thoughts. I've spent my career as a lawyer and broadcaster working on constitutional issues, writing about public policy, and talking about current events. I've served at the highest levels of our government, and I've even written a book about the Supreme Court. So why write this book? Because I am, fi rst and foremost, a dog lover. Few things in life have given me the kind of joy and, frankly, sorrow, as my relationships with my dogs. And this is especially so with an older dog we rescued from a local shelter.

We called him Sprite.

Sprite was found one day roaming the streets of Silver Spring, Maryland. We believe he lost his original family — or they lost him. He was taken to a local shelter and later handed over to foster parents while awaiting a family to adopt him. We were lucky to be that family.

Sprite was so beautiful. He had big brown eyes and the softest fur I'd ever touched. As we soon learned, Sprite also suffered from serious and ultimately debilitating health problems, but he never let any of it get him down. Despite life's curveballs, he was a dignifi ed, graceful, and courageous dog. He was friendly to all, humans and canines alike.

Sprite touched me in ways I could never have expected. He taught me to better appreciate the simple and more important things in life. He quickly became an irreplaceable member of our family and a fixture in the neighborhood. Even with all his setbacks, Sprite was full of life. He appreciated life. He cherished every moment, seeming to understand that his time left on earth would be too brief.

I loved this dog. Writing this book was both painful and cathartic for me. Reading it may be emotional for you. I hope it brings you some smiles. I know it will bring you some tears. I hope, when you're done, that you are moved to hold your dog closer in your arms — or in your memories.

Reading Group Guide

This reading group guide for Rescuing Sprite includes an introduction and discussion questions. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

Introduction

Although Mark Levin is known as a lawyer and a nationally syndicated broadcaster, he is, first and foremost, a dog lover.

In 1998, he and his family welcomed into their lives a half-Border Collie/half-Cocker Spaniel they named Pepsi. Six years later, his wife and son persuaded him to adopt a 3- to 6-year-old Spaniel mix, the most beautiful dog they'd ever seen. They named him Sprite.

Sprite bonded with Pepsi and the Levin family, and they fell in love with him—with his gentle nature, his beautiful face and his soft, huggable fur.

But on Halloween night, three weeks after joining their family, Sprite collapsed and had to be rushed to the animal hospital. It was the first of many such visits and a long journey for the Levin family, filled with joy and anguish.

Throughout the next two years, Sprite's bond with the Levin family deepened, as it did with their friends and neighbors. A relationship also developed with Mark's radio audience. As Mark's daughter turned 18 and graduated from high school and Mark's son turned 15, Sprite's health deteriorated, even as his spirits remained high and his beauty and grace continued to inspire.

Comfort came from family and fans and friends, including Mark's fellow radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. And between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2006, the Levin family said their final goodbye.

Rescuing Sprite is a stunningly intimate look at the love between a family and a dog, one that movingly shows, in Mark Levin's words, that "in the end, we humans are the lucky ones."

Questions for Discussion

1. Pepsi comforts Mark immensely after his heart problems, and Mark credits the dog for helping him to recover. Years later, the situation is reversed when Mark and his family must help their other dog, Sprite, through his health issues. How is the emotional support that a person gives a dog different from the support a dog gives a person?

2. Do you blame Mark and Kendall for avoiding the talk about end-of-life care for Sprite for so long? Do you think it would have helped them deal with the situation more if they had talked about it openly?

3. Why does talking with Rush about Sprite’s failing health make Mark reevaluate his life, his accomplishments, his religion?

4. On page 112, Mark says, “I had also lost people and animals I loved before, but this was different.” Why was facing Sprite’s mortality so different than Mark’s previous experiences with death?

5. Do you think it was wrong for Mark hold back Sprite’s deteriorating condition from Lauren when they were in the Bahamas? Would you have done the same thing?

6. After Sprite’s death, Mark is overwhelmed with depression and guilt for months. He feels that there must have been something he could have done to save the dog, and wishes he had further pursued the MRI when Sprite had collapses on Halloween. Are regret and guilt inevitable when one is faced with an extraordinary loss?

7. Mark and Kendall lied to Lauren when she had asked how Sprite was doing, and only told her what had happened when she returned home. Was it wrong for them to lie to her, especially since her brother knew the truth, or was it appropriate to wait until they could tell her in person?