Why dogs don't live as long as people....
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 there were no miracles left 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 the four-year-old
Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane
could 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, that 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.
He said, "Everybody is born so that they can learn
how to live a good life - like loving everybody and
being nice, right?"
The four-year-old continued, Well, animals already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."
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