Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten year

old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dogs owner 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 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 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."