Here's a good short story to help us understand why our beloved
animals leave us all too soon...
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 much 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 d og in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good the four-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. 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 four-year-old
continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so
they don't have to stay as long."
Author Unknown but much appreciated!
