Why dogs don't live longer than people.....

Yesterday was a very sad day for our family - we had to put down our 14 year old Cocker Spaniel, Katie. She was old and I know it's for the best and she's happier now and all, but it is still hard. It's especially hard on my parents who have lived with her for so long...I have been gone for 9 years and it still hurts.

I was talking to my brother Mike yesterday and we were talking about the Katie that we remember.... While most dogs like chasing balls or frisbees, Katie liked rocks. We lived in the middle of the woods and you could throw any rock deep into the woods and she would come back out with the exact same rock. Sometimes she'd be gone for 1/2 hour or so, but she always got that same rock. Even when we were clearing the yard for grass to go in and we would throw them she would bring them back :)

I still remember taking her to the vet for the first time with my dad. She was SO TINY she fit into my hand and had these little brown eyebrows that looked like milk duds on her black fur.

You are very loved Katie and you will be greatly missed :(


Why Dogs Don't Live Longer Than People

Being a veterinarian, I was called to examine a ten year old Irish
Wolfhound named Beaker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Beaker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Beaker and found he was dying of cancer.

I told the family there were no miracles left for Beaker, 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 Beaker'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, Beaker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Beaker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Beaker'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 .

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.