Kamloops Dog Classifieds

Why dogs do not live as long as people...

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

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."



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