I got this in an e-mail and just had to share:

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.

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."

Live simply.
Love generously.

very sweet.... and sad.....thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing Nicole...this is sweet. I actually have this one saved on my PC for obvious reasons. Another great read is a book called "My Angels Wear Fur" - stories about the unconditional love of animals. It's written by Devon O'Day who is Faith Fords sister....30 short stories that make me laugh and cry.

That is so sweet....my dog, Bear has cancer. He is 12. Not only is he nicer; he is smarter than the rest of us.

We had to put our dog to sleep last December. She was 16. My daughter and husband went with me. It was heartbreaking. I still look for her when I come home and think about her all the time. We took her ashes home after she was cremated.

Damn..I hate those kinds of stories.. They always get me "right there"...

We have a 16 (soon to be 17) year old chow/german shepard who, despite losing some hearing and some eyesight, remains a strong healthy dog. His back legs are a little weak, but he runs around when he wants to and you can bet he's smart enough to "play up" his age when he wants attention.

He's the old man of the house and pretty much gets to do what he wants, which is mostly sleep.. And boy does he SNORE...

Liz has had him since he was a baby and he's led a pretty easy life.. It's going to be rough on all of us when it's his time, but especially on her.