Why Dogs

This is one of those email forwards that we all receive... we read 'em, laugh or cry and pass them on. It was shared with me when I lost my dog a year ago and I've kept this one because it's great to have to share with friends when they loose a pet. So here's to Lucy...

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 much 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
everyone. 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."