Tribute to a great dog

We put our dog Precious to sleep today. She was 15, or 16 -- she was an Animal Shelter stray so the age was always a guess. She was one (or so) when my son Kevin fell in love with her in January 1992 at the Shelter in Cheyenne -- and we brought her home. She was a lively puppy and Kevin was a hyper eight-year-old, which made for a great match. We have photos of the two of them sleeping on the bed, romping in the snow, running through the park.

When my wife Chris and I found out how sick she was, we called Kevin, just finishing up his last day of spring classes at Pima County Community College in Tucson. The big 22-year-old cried. Later, as we held Precious as she passed from this earth, we all cried. Chris, our daughter Annie and I. Precious was a member of the family, a terrific companion. I'll miss her.