Why Dogs Don't Live As Long As Man
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 dog in their home. As we made arrangements,
Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for 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."
Going to the dogs? Well, maybe... if we're lucky.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply, Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.
A dog had followed his owner to school. His owner was a fourth
grader at a public elementary school. However, when the bell
rang, the dog sidled inside the building and made it all the
way to the child's classroom before a teacher noticed and
shooed him outside, closing the door behind him. The dog sat
down, whimpered and stared at the closed doors. Then God
appeared beside the dog, patted his head, and said, "Don't feel
bad fella'....they won't let ME in either."
