Just had to share this story I have heard:
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten year old Irish Wolfhound named Belker.
The dogs owners, and their little boy 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, they told me they thought it would be good for their four year old son to observe the procedure. They felt as though he might learn something from the experience.
Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belkers transition without any difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a while after Belkers death wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. The little boy 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, id 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.”