Abbott Pliny "Pete" Smith III was born June 16, 1938 in Augusta, Maine, USA. He was the second of five children born to Abbott Pliny Smith, II and Elizabeth Cooper Saunders Smith. In 1952, when Pete was 14 years old, his family moved to Denver, Colorado. Pete attended South High School in Denver. A teen who loved horses, Pete found his way to the local rodeo and ranches where he was befriended by seasoned cowboys and weathered wranglers. When Pete's parents returned to the east, Pete stayed behind, working as a ranch hand. He graduated high school in 1956. Following his love for animals, he attended Colorado A&M and graduated with a degree in Veterinary Medicine in 1962. In 1963, Dr. Smith and his family, dogs, cat, and horses, moved to Athens, Ohio where he continued his veterinary career serving the Ohio Valley. As a skilled surgeon, revered for his work with horses, Dr. Smith opened Milliron Clinic. February 22, 2010, Pete died of complications due to a logging accident. Family and friends will forever remember Pete's love for life, his passion for horses, rolling laugh, hearty handshake, and skill as a world-class veterinarian.