Dear Callie and NIkki,

And this goes out to ALL of my friends who took great care, and continue to take GREAT CARE, of MY GIRLS... I owe you a world of gratitude, and love, for keeping them safe and happy. Whether I was heading out to sea, exploring the seafloor in a little submersible, locked in the NR-1 nuclear submarine, diving with the whale sharks and Manta Rays, flying to Hawaii or London, or simply exploring the streets of Philadelphia, New York City, or Lancaster, PA, I always knew you were SAFE....And thought of you often.

Anything else in this world is a relatively minor detail...

Love,

The Pack Leader and the Girls

Dear Callie, AKA the DINGO,

We miss you IMMENSELY... The 4 am wake up calls. The barks that sound like they are coming from the rabid beast from hell... Knowing you would guard this house from harm and intruders if it took your last breath... Your heavy panting all night long while laying on the tile floor next to my bed. Loving Little Scarlett and newly adopted Brown Dog Molly like they were your own. Teaching Molly the truly wonderful experiences in a dog life... Chasing every squirrel that tries to steal the bird food, and rolling on your back in the grass during the mid Day sun... she does both very, very well, but has yet to catch one of those furry tailed buggers, like you amazingly did three times... I am glad you went peacefully, and lived your 11 years to the absolute fullest... At 44, you are a reminder that I must do the same. Mom, Aunt Suzie, and Linda arrive here in 8 hours, after an early flight. Although it has been almost a year since you left, they all miss you and wish you were still here. This house will always be a safe heaven for family, friends, and stray hounds. And when we go to the beach, wade in the surf, chase the shorebirds, and sprint in random directions as fast as possible, we will wish you were still here. Dingo, you and Nikki were the greatest companions a mortal human being could have ever asked for...We will love you both dearly forever.

The Pack Leader,DCW, the Bigeye Thresher.

Little Scarlett Weaver

Molly Brown Dog Weaver

Love,

All of the Weavers

Dear Patty-Cakes,

The 17 years I had with you were the best of my life. Devastation doesn't even begin to explain what I felt when we had to let you go. You were a constant calming presence in my life. I loved everything about you, even when you got loose and wouldn't let me catch you. I even loved that you would never let me take your picture. I loved sharing my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with you. I miss being groomed by you and how you wouldn't let me leave if you were still itchy. I miss hearing your knicker each morning. Lady has your stall now... and she whinnies to me every morning... but it is not the same. I love you with all my heart and I'm glad that you aren't sick anymore. But I miss you very much.

Love,

Jilly

Dear Mom,

I lost my mother in January 9 this year, I still don't know if I am dealing with it right. I don't really have anyone to talk about it with, I'm older - 26, but I have lived away from home in other states until this. She had cancer, lung cancer, and I moved back home when she had it. She only had it for a few months before her passing. I can't talk to my dad or younger sister about it, I have to be strong for

them. See originally we are from Ireland and we are the only fam over here, I don't have an aunt or uncle to confide with so I really think I am just burying it all inside of me and I am scared about that. We had the funeral in Ireland which was great considering...I don't know what I want to write except that I miss you mom, Dad misses you, life aint life anymore without you and I really want to move on with life but I can't, you were the best part of my life, you were my rock, you were the perfect mother. Sweet yet strong when you needed to be. A part of me just wants to move far far away and start a new life, while another part wants to ensure the rest of my immediate fam is alright. My Dad will move soon, he should, im trying to push him towards that, It just feels like my life has eroded and I have no clue what the future holds or what I should do. I am just very scared and lost without her and this is my first time losing someone close to me, I have been lucky in that sense, but still I am lost. I am just wondering does this pain ever go away or am I going to be a mental mess for the rest of my life? Seeing her body on the floor will never go away and it does affect me very deeply. I dont need to have someone "talk to me." That is BS, its happened to people for 1000's of years, I know it would not be easy, I never knew it would be so hard...

Love,

Your Son

Dear Pepe,

The past week has been one of the worst periods of my life. The house is so quiet without your barks--and my whole world feels so empty without you in it. But I know that I do have to carry on without you. As I write this letter to you, I am trying to turn a corner: I hope to move away from the darkness of the grief, sorrow, and anger, and instead find a sunnier spot in which to honor your memory.

I'll never forget that moment when you and I first met. There you were, sitting in that cage, waiting for the next chapter of your life. I felt a connection to you as soon as I looked into your eyes and at your sweet face. You spoke to me immediately, and insistently. I didn't think I wanted a third dog, but you were able to convince me otherwise. You just could not be resisted. Making you a member of my family was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

You brought such joy and happiness to my life. Thank you. Your endless devotion to me enabled me to survive the loss of Kelsey. When she left us, you helped me see that I could go on without her. Now that you are gone, I hope that the remaining members of our family can do the same, as I struggle through your absence.

You were, and will always be, so very special to me, Mr. Peeps. I will forever miss our errand-running trips--I'll never get into the car and not think about you sitting right next to me, and not long for those special times we shared, away from the others.

You were my little drama boy, yet such a tough guy--way too big for your britches. If I can find just a sliver of your spunk and bravery now, for myself, I know that I can get through the loss of you.

I know that you are still here with us now, in some way, and that you will always be. But I wish that I could touch your soft fur, and see you again: sleeping on your bed, rolling around on my bed, begging for a bite of my dinner, running off with your chewie, laying in the warm sun, zooming around the cul-de-sac, or hear your greeting as you welcomed me home. For now, all I have is these wonderful memories of you. And they will have to do. Until we meet again, and I know we will. I love you, Pepe, Little Sheriff. You are so precious.

Love,

Your friend and Mommy

Dear Pepe,

The past week has been one of the worst periods of my life. The house is so quiet without your barks--and my whole world feels so empty without you in it. But I know that I do have to carry on without you. As I write this letter to you, I am trying to turn a corner: I hope to move away from the darkness of the grief, sorrow, and anger, and instead find a sunnier spot in which to honor your memory.

I'll never forget that moment when you and I first met. There you were, sitting in that cage, waiting for the next chapter of your life. I felt a connection to you as soon as I looked into your eyes and at your sweet face. You spoke to me immediately, and insistently. I didn't think I wanted a third dog, but you were able to convince me otherwise. You just could not be resisted. Making you a member of my family was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

You brought such joy and happiness to my life. Thank you. Your endless devotion to me enabled me to survive the loss of Kelsey. When she left us, you helped me see that I could go on without her. Now that you are gone, I hope that the remaining members of our family can do the same, as I struggle through your absence.

You were, and will always be, so very special to me, Mr. Peeps. I will forever miss our errand-running trips--I'll never get into the car and not think about you sitting right next to me, and not long for those special times we shared, away from the others.

You were my little drama boy, yet such a tough guy--way too big for your britches. If I can find just a sliver of your spunk and bravery now, for myself, I know that I can get through the loss of you.

I know that you are still here with us now, in some way, and that you will always be. But I wish that I could touch your soft fur, and see you again: sleeping on your bed, rolling around on my bed, begging for a bite of my dinner, running off with your chewie, laying in the warm sun, zooming around the cul-de-sac, or hear your greeting as you welcomed me home. For now, all I have is these wonderful memories of you. And they will have to do. Until we meet again, and I know we will. I love you, Pepe, Little Sheriff. You are so precious.

Love,

Your friend and Mommy

Dear Dad,

Hi Dad,

I miss you so much it hurts. Its time for an update on your daughters life. I volunteer for RideAbility now in Pine Island. Its amazing that I can work with horses and be around people, I'm still trying to find a job, Jesse and I r hoping/trying to buy our first house this year. I miss the late night Wal-Mart trips with you, our late night jaunts to Missouri, I even miss the smell of smoke in the house,watching wrestling with you and eating all the food that Mom said was bad for us. I miss going to the rodeo with you, the way you slept on the couch, with the t.v. on and the remote in your head. Jesse sleeps like you a lot, he drives like you, he even drinks pop like you did, he doesnt eat a lot like you did, he reminds me of you. Are you proud of who your daughter has become??? Stacy and Jordan will be married for a year on Halloween, dont ask why they got married on Halloween they just did, Jesse and I will celebrate 2 years of marriage on July 26th, Jason has a beautiful baby girl that hes trying to get custody of, Katrina is still in her group home and she hates it, Mom has a new boyfriend too and hes nice but hes a lot like you. Eileen and Jason are expecting a baby girl any day now, Johnny's gonna be a big brother. MOM is having trouble in the cities with her landlord. Ashley and Brad are back together and her parents have no idea. We are all going to the Minnesota Horse Expo its gonna be awesome. Well I guess thats all i have for now, so I will talk to you later. I Love and Miss you.

Missing You,

Daddy's Girl

Dear Bacardi Silver,

I'm sure you knew how much I loved you. We cuddled every night. It's been so[explitive removed]since you moved on. Remember all the fun times we had with Santa and how much you loved playing with tha one toy mouse until you tore it apart. You know, no one will use your tunnel. That is yours, and I think the others know that. I walk into the bedroom thinking you'll be on the bed or in the closet, and then I realize that you're not there. When I lay down to go to sleep I don't have anyone to cuddle with. Your brothers and sister just don't cuddle like we did. I will always remember the first day I found you. To think no one wanted you. It was because you were ment for me, so I could give you the best life I could. No one thought you would live as long as you did, but you proved everyone wrong. The day I found the mass, I thought to myself that it really wasn't there and that everything would be fine. I'm sure that you are much happier now, and feel so much better. You are with your littermates now. I know Aunt Dawn and I both agree you are all up to something. If I get another cat, it isn't to replace you in my heart. It is to make it things go by faster and give another kitty a chance at have a great family. It is impossible to replace you in anyway. You were the best cat anyone sould ever ask for. Please forgive me if the first injection stung a little. The point of it was to make you comfortable, not to harm you. I know you jumped and seemed liked it hurt. I was just trying to ease your suffering. Once you were asleep I held you for the rest of it in my arms. I can never change anything, but I hope I didn't upset you. I really can't type anymore, because I can't stop crying. Maybe it was too soon to try to type this letter, but I needed something to help me deal with your loss.

Love,

MOM

Dear L,

You were and still are the love of my life. While I understand that you had no control over your circumstances, I still get angry that you "chose" to finally accept what you had always known and move your life in that direction. I feel like our love should have been enough for you to go on with the life that we built together.

Now, when I look at you, I don't even see the man I married anymore. Simply the woman that took over. I still care for you deeply, but I am no longer in love with you. I feel like I am ready to move forward in my life but fear that in doing so, I will push you into another attempt to take your life. Our children still need you, I still need you. It's a lot of guilt for me to carry and sometimes I hate you for putting it on me.

I often hope that you will meet someone that makes you happy so that I will then be free to do the same.

Love,

Your wife

Dear Oreo,

The day you were born I knew instantly that you were the one. You were so fragile, and all I wanted to do was hold you. It killed me when my mom kept telling me you were too little to be held. I will never forgot the many times mom had people coming over to adopt you or one of the other little kitties, and I hid you in my shirt every time. I couldn't stand the fact that another person would hold you and play with you and be able to call you by another name. You were my best friend. You made me laugh and you comforted me when I needed it. You were spunky and upbeat and you always knew how to make me smile. The day mom told me that you weren't feeling well I remember crying for hours. I remember how tired and exhausted you were. It was so sad to see a cat like you, go through such pain. There were days when I thought you were surely going to die and then there were days when I was sure you were going to be alright. The day we brought you to the vet was the day I had to make one of the hardest decisions that I'd ever been faced with. It was the decision between life, and death. As you lay there on my pink princess blanket, with your dark eyes staring back at me, I couldn't help but see that you were ready. The vet offered an expensive and painful operation that had a 50% chance of failure. I knew that if you had the operation and it was successful, I would be able to be with you longer but I also didn't want you to feel anymore pain. At age 10 I had to make that decision. I remember taking one last look at you and realizing what I had to do. When I told the vet that I would like you to be put down he was astonished. He thought for sure that I would choose the operation. I knew that you were in pain and I didn't want to be selfish. I was given 5 minutes to say my last goodbye's to you. I knew 5 minutes wouldn't be long enough to fully explain how much you meant to me but I knew 3 words (I love you) and a kiss would suffice. I hope I made the right decision and that I helped you pass on peacefully. I hope there are plenty of cat toys up there and I hope you know that I meant what I said that day. I love you Oreo, and I always will.

Love,

Mommy