A DOG'S PURPOSE:
(from a 4-year-old's point of view)
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old
Irish
Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and
their
little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were
hoping
for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the
family we
couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the
euthanasia
procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements,
Ron
and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for four-year-old
Shane
to observe the procedure. They felt as though he might learn
something
from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's
family
surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the
last
time. I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few
minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to
accept
Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud
about
the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane,
who
had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next
stunned
me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
"People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life,
like
loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?", said the
four-year-old. "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they
don't
have to stay as long."
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