A Dog’s Purpose
(From a Six-Year-Old’s Perspective)
Author Unknown
Being a veterinarian, I was called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker. His owners—Ron, his wife Lisa, and their young son Shane—were deeply attached to him and were hoping for a miracle.
After examining Belker, I discovered he was dying of cancer. I gently explained to the family that there was nothing more we could do and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure in their home, where Belker would be most comfortable.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa shared that they felt it would be good for six-year-old Shane to be present. They believed he might learn something important from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family gathered around him. Shane seemed unusually calm as he gently petted the old dog one last time. I wondered if he truly understood what was happening. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped away peacefully.
Shane accepted Belker’s passing without confusion or visible distress. Afterward, we sat together quietly, talking about the sad reality that dogs’ lives are so much shorter than our own.
Shane, who had been listening silently, suddenly spoke up.
“I know why.”
Surprised, we all turned to him. What he said next stopped us in our tracks.
“People are born,” he said, “so they can learn how to live a good life—like loving everybody all the time and being kind, right?”
We nodded.
“Well,” Shane continued, “dogs already know how to do that. So they don’t have to stay as long.”
Sometimes the deepest wisdom comes from the smallest voices.
1 Peter 4:8 (NLT) “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”
