A Dog's Purpose According to a 6 Year Old

[badgercat]

I've never had a dog myself, but those of you who are mamas to animals of any sort (and I know there are many of you here!) may appreciate this sweet little story.

From http://weruletheinternet.com/2011/05...-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.”

[jessmarimba]

Aww. I just had a little cry.

Kids do surprisingly well with things when left to choose their own reaction. They're very cool little people.

[lph]

ok, now THAT teared me up! Beautiful story

[bmccasland]

Reminds me about a poem I cut out of a magazine years and years ago - "The 10th good thing about Barney"

seemed the 10th good thing was that he would help the flowers grow.

[ClockworkOrange]

Oh dear, now I can't type for tears.

Lovely little story.

[Tri Girl]

ohhh.. that was so very touching!! Made me all teary-eyed.
I guess that's true. Kids have the best insights! So sweet... thanks for sharing.

[Savra]

That is very touching. I thought of our old dog who struggles with skin cancer.