Received this via email today. Thought it worth sharing. I happen to believe this about ALL animals...
A Dog's Purpose? (from
a 6-year-old)
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
six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane 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,
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. It has changed the way I try and
live.
He said,
''People are born so that they can
learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being
nice, right?'' The Six-year-old
continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do
that, so they don't have to stay as long.''














