HOW DID YOU ESCAPE DEATH AT New York

Hi Norbert!

Sparky did escape a “death sentence” in New York City at a dog pound in East Harlem.  In the dog pounds in New York City, they have too many homeless dogs (and cats) that either people drop off at the pound because they don’t want them anymore or they are picked up off the street and brought to the pound because they are strays just roaming around the city. I’m not sure if Sparky was dropped off at the pound in East Harlem when she was young (just 1 year old) by somebody or she was picked up roaming the streets and brought to the pound.

Each dog that gets brought into the pound has an entry date, the date they arrive at the pound.  Unfortunately, when the dog pound has too many homeless dogs and runs out of room to house and care for them, the dogs that have been at the pound for the longest time are “put to sleep,” which means they are killed (they are given a shot of some drug that kills them).

And that was about to happen to Sparky at the pound in East Harlem.  She had been there a while and nobody wanted to adopt her, to bring her home with them.  Luckily, a worker at the pound took a liking to Sparky because of her friendly nature and wagging tail and secretly kept changing Sparky’s date of arrival so it wouldn’t seem that she had been at the pound too long.  (For example, say Sparky arrived at the pound on Sept. 1; well, the worker would change her date to Oct. 1, then Nov. 1, then Dec. 1, so she wouldn’t be there the longest and be put to sleep.  And it would give Sparky more time to be adopted.)

Luckily, a group called Adopt-A-Dog from Greenwich, CT, visited the East Harlem pound to take some dogs and try to find a home for them.  (Adopt-A-Dog never puts a dog “to sleep.” They keep them until they are adopted, no matter how long it takes.) Well, Adopt-A-Dog filled up their van with dogs and was about to leave, when that worker at the dog pound rushed out to them and pleaded with them to take Sparky with them because he knew that Sparky was going to be “put to sleep” if she didn’t get out of there.

Well, he begged and pleaded with Adopt-A-Dog until they finally agreed to take Sparky with them and away from the East Harlem pound and certain death.  Adopt-A-Dog didn’t have a cage for Sparky in the van (all their cages with filled with other dogs), so Sparky sat up front with the driver and licked the driver all the way back to Greenwich, CT!

Sparky was safe now, and I adopted Sparky from Adopt-A-Dog on April 24, 1999, and she lived a wonderful life in Stamford, CT, with me and my family for the next 12 years, safe and sound.  No more danger.  No more threat of being “put to sleep.”  And that’s how Sparky cheated death in New York City!!!!

Thanks for the great question!

Rick

Papi, this is Aubrey your friend. I just wanted to say hi to Dexter and speeding to Carmen and you bye love you Papa. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Hi Aubrey!

Sorry I took a couple of days to answer your message!  It was so much fun when you visited yesterday! I hope you like all your presents!!  I’ll give Dexter a big hug for you when I get home from work tonight.  And I’ll say Hi to Carmen for you.  Love you!  And you can send me a message anytime you’d like!

Papa Ricky

you have a good really good good good good good good good good good Thanksgiving. Have some feast. If you don’t celebrate holiday fun I just saying happy holiday cause your dogs. You’re nice Dexter. I have the stickers Dexter says reading is cool. Sparky says school is cool. You’re the hardest bro you’re the artist you are artist  i’m gonna buy the books too. I like the book. Have a good night. I hope you have a good family like give them feast. I love Sparky that so long that so long and I talk to you but now she little bit Lulu is my dog so little bit lulu  comes to my house have a good day

Hi Jayceon!

Thanks for the wonderful messages and your nice words about Sparky and Dexter!  Dexter and I had so much fun visiting you and your classmates at Stark Elementary School!  And sorry I took a couple of days to answer your message but I’ve been really busy.

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!  I know Dexter is looking forward to all the food!  Sparky used to love Thanksgiving because she always got some turkey.

And you have a dog named Lulu?  That’s great!  Tell Lulu that Dexter says Hi!

Well, I’ve got to go now.  It’s time to take Dexter on his nightly walk around the neighborhood.  He gets two walks a day, one in the morning and one at night.

Thanks again for writing!

Rick (and Dexter, too!)  Woof!!

so I saw you so I saw it so we saw so that I just decide that I wanna give better mashes because Message because I miss Sparky and Dexter. They’re my only dog that I love. They’re so kind and I’m just having a good night, good night bro but have a good night Sparky I love you Dexter. I love you. Rest in peace sparky I just like to like give some people a message because like they their dogs are so kind your dogs are so kind but Good night everybody I want so tell all your family tell Aubrey I said hello good night so you can have UG tell Aubrey you have a nice grandpa you do you have a nice grandpa so rest in peace Sparky make your dog eat dinner so give them a snack or something to put them in bed yeah you you you the best grandpa ever you’re the best grandpa ever. I just went on the website  Say thank you for coming to start school elementary school cause we need to see a dog right now because I just love your dogs. You’re so kind I have Sparky Sparky passed away. I know you said that I hope she has a rest in peace Sparky with you feed him stuff so you don’t pass away to watch sparky no I don’t want Dexter to pass away no no no that’s that that’s gonna be so sad. You’re not gonna have you only gonna have the year  The other the bunny stuff but Sally Spark is not with us anymore. She’s she’s gone sorry for your heart. Your heart is like pounding because Sparky passed away. Sparky was a good dog right good dog. He was a good dog. He plays with you Aubrey, sometimes he plays with everybody. He gets kisses  Well he can’t get kisses anymore to us because he passed away but I hope you had a good night. I hope Dexter has a good night. I hope your daughter has a good night. I hope you’re your son has a good night. I hope Aubrey has a good night. OK good night. I’m gonna go take a shower  go to bed. Make sure you text me back bro
from from Jayceon

I like sparky and dexter

🐶

Hi Brianna!

I’m so happy that you like Sparky and Dexter!  And Dexter sure did enjoy meeting you and all your classmates.

Dexter is sleeping in his bed right now (he’s even snoring!!).  But I’ll have to wake him up because it’s almost time for his evening walk around the neighborhood.

Thanks for checking out Sparky and Dexter’s Web site!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Rick (and Dexter, too, woof!)

Where did you adopt your turtle And when did you adopt your turtle

I was the 1 who said Was sparky a blue eyed dog

Hi Isaiah!

Yep, I remember you!  And I remember you asking if Sparky had blue eyes.  Both Sparky and Dexter have brown eyes.

As for Speedy the tortoise, we actually didn’t adopt her.  We bought her at a reptile show in White Plains, NY, way back in 1997, even before we had Sparky!  She was about five years old when we got her, and now she’s 32 years old!!

Right now, Speedy is in her cage with the heat lamp on, so she’s nice and warm!

Thanks for writing and Happy Thanksgiving!

Rick (and Speedy and Dexter, too!)

Hi Dexter and Author Rick thank you for coming last year it was fun and exciting!

Hi Cecily!

You’re more than welcome!  Dexter and I always have a great time visiting the schools and meeting all the kids, and I’m so happy that you enjoyed it.  What school do you go to?  Hopefully, we can visit again this year.

Dexter is getting ready to visit a preschool in Waterbury, CT, this Thursday and Friday.  Two days!  So many kids want to meet him!

Have a fun school year and hope to see you again!

Rick (and Dexter, too!)  Woof!

Hey Rick!! Been such a long time since I’ve wrote. I love coming on to read all of the messages on the board from the kiddos and seeing that you still visit schools. Still so crazy how you visited my elementary school in 2006 when I was just 6 years old. Now I’m 24 and still have every single book, from Sparkys to Dexters. I cannot wait to have my own little one to read them to and tell about. I’m still going through a lot health wise, but trying to push through. I hope you guys are all well! I see even Speedy is still around! So amazing to hear. 18 years later and I’m so glad we’re still able to keep in touch and you still have the site up!

Harley!!

Thanks for checking in!  So great to hear from you!!  We’re doing fine up here in Connecticut, visiting a lot of schools and camps this summer.  Dexter and I will be visiting one tomorrow.  Can’t believe it’s been 18 years since Sparky and I came down to visit your school!!  Wow!!  And, yes, Speedy is still around.  She’s 32 years old now!  Just finished writing a new book about opposites for the PreK-K kids, and Speedy is in it!  It’s called Dexter and Speedy:  Opposites.  Just starting the illustration phase of the book.  My cousin Mason will be doing the illustrations.  Hope to have it all done by the holidays.  Keep thinking good thoughts, Harley.  Hang in there!

Wishing you all the best,

Rick, Dexter, and Speedy, too!!

We Adopted too.

I don’t think  dogs can spell and send a message.🤔😁🐕.

Hi Lorenzo!

Sorry I took a couple of days to get back to you!  So happy that you adopted your pet, too!  That’s wonderful!  I’ve adopted all my dogs in my life.  I always say that you when you adopt a pet you get a great friend and you save a life, too!

And you’re right, dogs can’t spell and send a message!  I have to do all the writing for Dexter!  And I did all the writing for Sparky, too.  But once in a while, Sparky would jump up and put her paws on the keyboard and the typing would come out in some sort of weird doggie language, like “pafskjaspoifag0oirueu  osd;fkj”!!

Thanks for writing and have a great weekend!

Rick (and Dexter, too – even though he didn’t write this!)

dex is super cute

Hi Cataleya!

Yes, Dexter is a good-looking dog.  He’s a handsome boy!  Glad you like him!  He sure did like meeting you and all your classmates!

Enjoy your weekend!

Rick (and Dexter, too!)