To the editor:

We buried our son yesterday. At about 9,000 feet, after a long day of work, we stopped to watch the sunset over three states while viewing ponds and pines. Aspen trees were bursting with color. You hear the cry of your dog being run over by someone who doesn’t understand the beauty that is surrounding them; just in a hurry to get down off of Wilderness Mountain. To most, he was just a dog. To us, he was our baby. He was only 1 year, 4 months old, but already touched so many souls. He would play with the grandchildren ever so gently, playing all day every day. I write this hoping people will realize this could just as easily have been a child.

We bought land on Wilderness Ranch this spring and every time, meeting people flying down the road at Wilderness and Sand Point roads. To all that travel this road, please slow down and enjoy the beauty around you.

So, in short, the very few minutes you saved, you managed to extinguish a lifetime of love from a wonderful animal. He was a pitbull and never met an enemy. For Shilo, our loving son, you are truly missed.

Chuck Barber and Cathy May