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.
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.
