Perfect attendance may get daughter promised dog It all began in the fall of 1998 when our daughter, Dana, started her first day of kindergarten. She was begging us to get her a dog, but we were not ready for a pet just yet. She kept asking and asking, so we told her we'll make you a deal: if you don't miss a day of school from kindergarten to eighth grade, we will consider getting a dog. Years went on, and that deal stayed with her all throughout the next eight school years. Even her classmates knew each year that passed, she was getting closer to getting her wish. On June 19, she will be graduating from the eighth grade and has not missed a day of school ever! I think we have to keep our promise and get her the dog she has longed for since that first day of kindergarten. Sue Ricca Hazlet