The Purpose of a Dog - from a 4 yr. old

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

Received in an email
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The Purpose of a Dog - from a 4 yr. old

How true...

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 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, Bel ker 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."

[GoddessOfGuinness]

1. Smart kid...

Thanks for the sweet story! :loveya:

[xchrom]

2. truer words were never spoken.

[hippiechick]

3. They made a FOUR YEAR OLD watch a euthanizing ??

OMG. :wtf:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

4. They probably made up that story.

And kids have to learn about death sometime, and it might as well be with a dog instead of a grandparent. I was 5 when I lost my grandfather. It's a part of life, and kids need to learn.
Duckie

[hippiechick]

6. Learn yes, but WATCH ? And at age four??

I've got a problem with that.
There are many other ways they could have explained it to him.

[idgiehkt]

7. me too

I found it alarming. Not because it is wrong or right, but because of the emotionally detached tone of parents. Humans have an innate capacity for grief; we are born with it and it is not something that we need to be taught or learn. I wonder if they have him watch prisoner executions on tv. Now if they had said "We want our child to be with his pet during his passing so he can hold him as he passes into the next world", that would be a different thing entirely. But this just sounds like the parents need a major, major clue here. Geez whiz.

[HuffleClaw]

5. *blech*

funny, the usual version of this features JESUS very prominantly.

[undeterred]

8. My dog is training me to be nice, and its taking a long time.

He's 14, and I can't believe he's still here.
He's training me to be really nice to HIM.
:hi:

[Maine-ah]

9. lol, the same here...

our choco lab just turned 13.