The Purpose of Dogs

A friend of mine sent me one of those office emails that have been forwarded so many times, you have to scroll all the way down to the bottom to find the original message.  At first I thought it was another of those joke emails that he thinks are so funny.  But this one was different.

This one was about the relationship that we form with our pets and how through the unconditional love and loyalty they give us, we become better people.

I thought I’d share it with you.

A  Dog’s Purpose  (from  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.  It has changed the way I try and live.

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.”

What a great story.  Would that we all had the same basic nature as dogs – that we could “love everybody and be nice.”  That we could assume the best in people instead of the worst.  That we could face each new day with unbridled joy and openly express our happiness to be around those we care most about.  That we could totally live for today instead of hoping for some “tomorrow” that might never come.  What kind of world would that be?

Hiram

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