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. It has changed the way I try and live.

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.''

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

We Tip Our Hats to the Working Dogs

Working dogs have played an intregul role in history. Here are some fun facts…

During the Vietnam war 4500 working dogs were sent to aid the troops.

The first guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired were trained in Germany to provide assistance for those blinded in the war. German Shepherds were used for their protective and strong sense of loyalty to their owner.

In Roman times, Mastiffs donned light armor and were sent after mounted knights.

Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures.

A dog by the name ok Laikawas launched into space aboard the Russian spacecraft Sputnik  2 in the year 1957.

Dogs are truly amazing.

Dolphins Help Save Dog from Drowning

On Marco Island, Florida a group of dolphins came to the aid of a lost Doberman that had fallen into a canal and couldn't get out. The dolphins made so much noise, it attracted the attention of people living nearby, who then rescued the dog. The Doberman was believed to have spent 15 hours in the canal water before he was pulled out by fire personnel and reunited with his owner.

One of the people whose attention was captured by the noisy, demonstrative dolphins said, "They were really putting up a ruckus, almost beaching themselves on the sandbar over there. If it wasn't for the dolphin, I would have never seen the dog.” (Source: ABC7news) He said also if the dolphins hadn't persisted enough to get their attention, they dog would have died in the canal. The dog had fallen over the edge of a concrete wall down into the water far enough that it had no chance of getting back up by itself. The dog was exhausted from being in the cold water for hours, and most likely suffering from hypothermia.

Dolphins have been known to sometimes help stranded or injured people as well. In 2007, a pod of dolphins formed a ring around a surfer who was injured and bleeding after being bitten by a Great White shark. The surfer survived because they prevented further bites. No one knows exactly why dolphins have intervened in such emergency situations, and helped save the lives of other species. Suffice to say they are capable of empathy and heroic actions.

Interesting facts about Animals

Wag Watchers post for 10 interesting facts about Animals -  Last 6 of 10

6: Quagga, the extincted animal

Quagga was an African animal and was related to current-time Zebra. It had stripes on its body but unlike Zebra the stripes were not spread over the whole body. Most of their stripes were on head and neck while there were no stripes on legs at all.

7: Pistol Shrimp, the smart hunter

Will you believe this amazing pistol shrimp makes louder noise than a supersonic jet engine. Pistol shrimp make this noise by snapping his claws which can easily stun its prey.

8: Stripes of Zebra

The color of Zebra is not black with white stripes but white with black stripes. Another amazing aspect of their stripes is that none of the Zebra in the world has stripes similar to other one.

9: Blue whale, the largest animal ever

Blue Whale is the largest and the heaviest known creature that have ever existed on the earth. A blue whale’s tongue weight as much as an elephant.

10: Darwin’s Bark Spider produces the toughest silk

Darwin’s Bark Spider is an amazing species of spider that produces the toughest silk. Its density can be four times greater than steel. Web created by them is the largest in the world ranging from 900–28,000 cm.

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