A 6 Year Old Explains Dog’s Life and Death
Sad memes, we need them too, sometimes. Here is a great story. And the photo can be a good source for sad memes.
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-years-old 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. One of the better sad memes.
Why do animals live shorter lives than humans?
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 seems 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 cam out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never hear a more comforting explanation. He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life – lie 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.
H/T to quickmeme for highlighting this story.
