I got this as an email...I'm sure it's been posted before, but, I'd never seen it. It's sweet, and, sad. I like it, though...
Why Dogs Don't Live as Long as People...
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a 10 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 out loud
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 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, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't
have to stay as long."
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