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A TRUE STORY WRITTEN BY A VET





SOME OF THE MOST POIGNANT MOMENTS I SPEND AS A VETERINARIAN

ARE THOSE SPENT WITH MY CLIENTS

ASSISTING THE TRANSISTION OF MY ANIMAL PATIENTS

FROM THIS WORLD TO THE NEXT.

WHEN LIVING BECOMES A BURDEN,

WHETHER FROM PAIN OR LOSS OF NORMAL FUNCTIONS,

I CAN HELP A FAMILY BY ENSURING

THAT THEIR BELOVED PET HAS AN EASY PASSING.

MAKING THIS FINAL DECISION IS PAINFUL,

AND I HAVE OFTEN FELT POWERLESS

TO COMFORT THE GRIEVEING OWNERS.

THAT WAS BEFORE I MET SHANE.

I HAD BEEN CALLED TO EXAMINE A TEN YEAR OLD BLUE HEELER

NAMED BELKER WHO HAD DEVELOPED A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

THE DOGS OWNERS RON AND 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 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 THAT SHANE COULD 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,"EVERYBODY IS BORN

SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE

LIKE LOVING EVERYBODY AND BEING NICE, RIGHT?"

THE FOUR YEAR OLD CONTINUED,

"WELL, ANIMALS ALREADY KNOW HOW TO DO THAT,

SO THEY DON`T HAVE TO STAY AS LONG."



By Robin Downing, D.V.M.