A Dog's Purpose
Through the Eyes of a 6
Year Old Child
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.
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.'
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