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

A tender-hearted tale of the adoption of a dog, whom you fall in love with, and then discover he is very ill. The Levin family and their neighbors struggle to do the best for Sprite as they watch him slowly deteriorate. At what point do they end his suffering? IS he getting better for only today, or is this a trend? In retrospect, was there more they could have done for him? Do you get another dog when your heart aches over the loss of the last one? This book is filled with such questions and the emotional story of Pepsi and Sprite, the dogs of the Levin household. A very touching tale. Don't read this unless you are ready to have your heart broken.

I'm a sucker for a good dog book. Unfortunately, RESCUING SPRITE is not a very good one. I don't doubt the depth of Levin's feelings or his grief at losing a beloved dog, but his telling about it is just too over-the-top maudlin, not to mention redundant and filled with "padding," to make what might have been a decent magazine piece or essay into a full length book. And learning that Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are two of his best friends really soured me on the book.

If you want to read a really affecting dog book, read MERLE'S DOOR. Not this one. Nope.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER

I wanted to like this book, because it was a gift from my sister, and because it was about a rescue pup and the family who loved him. Despite all this, I found it dull and badly written. The language has been simplified to literally a 5th grade reading level, per Flesch Kincaid. Thus we are treated to such descriptive and emotional delights as:

"Her injury was fatal, and we were all devastated, especially my mother and grandfather."

"I looked at them with disgust and stormed out the door."

"She was very proud of her dad. The truth is that I did what every other dog lover would have done."

"I felt horrible for her. I whispered to the technician, 'She had to put the cat to sleep, didn't she?' She gave me a sad look and said they did."

"He was show more upset but very strong. I could see his eyes well up, but he held his emotions back."

The story itself is fairly mundane - the dogs do common doggie things and the author and his family experience the usual joys that our pets bring to our lives. I think the book can be useful to some for its description of the struggle most of us will have to face sooner or later: the end-of-life decisions we must make for a beloved pet who is suffering from an incurable illness or progressively poor health, and the guilt and spiritual questions that sometimes come with those decisions. It only amazes me that a middle aged man who has been a dog lover all his life had never before gone through it.

But even here, the clumsy prose and simplified language robs the story of emotional impact.

I'll keep this book on my shelves and treasure it, but only because it was a gift from my sister and for the thoughtful, loving inscription she wrote on the flyleaf, which moved me far more than anything else contained in it. show less

I'm a huge fan of talk radio. One of the shows I listen to on a regular basis is the Mark Levin Show. Last December, he lost a very special friend and family member, his dog Sprite. After some urging from friends, he decided to write a book about the experience of rescuing this dog, living and loving him, and then having to make the awful decision to put him to sleep after only having had him in his family for 2 years.

If you are a dog lover, you should read this book. Even if you're not necessarily a dog lover, you should read this book to understand how deep our affection goes (and why it runs deep) for these wonderful animals. It will be hard, and you will cry. I'm not just talking a few tears here, either, I mean you will cry and show more snuffle and have to go find some tissues to mop up the liquid your eyes will release. (My eyes are all swelly this morning!) But it is worth it to share in the joy that Mark and his family had with this sweet dog. Sprite taught the Levins many lessons, and subsequently, he's still teaching them as well as those of us who read the book. He had had a hard life, yet he kept a bright disposition down to his very last day when he was disoriented and exhausted from his illness. He was a tender friend to Mark, his wife, and their daughter and son. I know they still miss him dearly.

I won't tell more about the book because I want you to read it and see for yourself what a blessing this dog was, and I'm sure many dogs have been, including one that you have now or had in the past. Reading this book made me remember the good times I spent with my two favorite pups, Ginger from my childhood, and Reagan from my late teens/early twenties. Dogs truly do enrich our souls with their unconditional love and loyalty. They are special little creatures, indeed. If you do have a dog, please hug him or her for me today. show less

If, when you pick up the book, you do so because you are looking for another Marley & Me, then don't bother. Although written with deep emotion, it's not as satisfying or as well written as John Grogan's book. It's lacking both humor and grace. I understand Mark Levin originally wrote Rescuing Sprite as an essay, and then 'filled it out' to small book length. This tale does not benefit from that filling out process one bit. I have not read any of Levin's other books, but I understand he is not a writer by trade, but a radio show host. He should not quit his day job.

This is a love story of a family and their dogs. Written by national talk show host and attorney Mark R. Levin, he shares his love of dogs, particularly his rescue dog, Sprite.
Already sharing their home with Pepsi, a 6 year old mixed breed, the family decides to adopt a second dog from the local shelter. They fall in love with the adorable Sprite, believing him to be between 3-6 years old. He fits right in with the family, he and Pepsi becoming inseparable.
Weeks after adopting Sprite, he has an emergency and must be rushed to the animal hospital. This is followed by another incident shortly thereafter. The Levin family realizes Sprite is much older than originally believed, perhaps ten years or more! But this does not matter; he is show more family, and he needs them.
The next few years are spent loving Sprite and caring for him. The Levin family, including Pepsi, is forever changed by Sprite and his gentle spirit. Friends and listeners of Mark Levin's show are touched by Sprite's life and struggle.
We are reminded by the Levin family's story with Sprite of how much animals add to our lives, and how much we can learn from them, from their simple wisdom. This is a beautiful story that will stay with you, especially if you have had the joy and anguish of rescuing an elderly dog, as I have had. It is indeed special. show less

My main criticism is that I would like more about Sprite, less about his career. It was easy to read and went fast. If I tried to compare to Dewey, the library cat, it is far behind in stories of humor, compassion and what makes this animal different than others. I took a few notes as I went and when I look at them, I realize that Sprite was no different than my dog, Honey when came to love and support when times were unbearable.

The author told of his experiences when he was recovering from a medical illness and both Sprite and Pepsi would snuggle up close to him. But this is what I have found-dogs do that! They can be so caring that it is hard to believe but even my cockatiels notice when something is bothering me and they act show more differently.

What I craved for was more attention paid to Sprite. What made him different from other dogs? He was different from Pepsi, he ate slowly while Pepsi gulped his food down and he was different on walks. What was the special difference that characterized Sprite that made the author fall so deeply in love with him? The author feels in love with Sprite so much that he was extremely depressed when nothing could be done for Sprite. But what was it? I wish the author dug deeper to find why Sprite was so different for him than Pepsi? If he could have found that and express that in his book, it would have been a remarkable book.

I stuck the book out, it was not boring but it seemed to lack depth. In the last pages, I was crying so if you decide to read this book, bring your facial tissues for the ending.

I think there are better dog books out there so I will not recommend this book. show less