Why Do Dogs Leave Earth
First?
a child answers
Being a veternarian, 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 that he was dying of cancer.I told
the family we couldn't do anything more for Belker, and
offerent to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in
their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it
wouild be good for six year old Shance to Shane to observe the
procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from
the experience.
The next day, I felt the fimiliar catch in my throat as
Belker's family surrounded him. They could boy, 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 peacfully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without
any dificulty or confusion. We sat together for a long while
after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that
animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shance, we had been listening quietly, pipped up, "I know
why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth nexr
stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It
has changed the way I try to 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 continuted, "Well dogs already know how to
do that, so they don't have to stay as long."