Nine years ago, he passed away, and he is always in my heart.

Precious Miguel.

In February of 2004, Mike and I were heading home to Denver from Bernalillo, New Mexico. It was cold and had snowed as we passed Santa Fe. Up ahead on the highway, I saw what I thought was a bear cub. It ended up being a puppy crossing the highway.

I put on the brakes, and for the next 30 minutes Mike and I trudged through snow and mud in between lanes of highway to get the puppy. He did not want to be caught, but finally relented.

After bringing him to a shelter in Denver, I decided I wanted to keep him, even though I didn’t think I had the patience for a puppy. He was already in my heart.

He was part of our family until July of 2017, when he lost his battle with cancer. I think of him all the time.

Miguel was a fluffball. He was funny, playful, protective of his siblings, and always wanted to be with us. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop.

Nine years without him. We had just moved into our new house in Southern California. And by the end of that summer, his siblings Rose and Monty would also pass away, leaving our home without any of the dogs who moved from Denver with us.

I’m forever grateful that Miggy crossed the highway at that exact moment.

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