A dog’s purpose? (from a 6 year old’s point of view)

Someone sent me this story recently, I think it’s lovely and thought I would share it.

“Being a vet, I had been called to examine a  ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The  dog’s owners 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 him and offered to  perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog  in their home.

As we made arrangements,  the owners told me they thought it would be  good for six-year-old Shane to observe the  procedure. The!y 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.”

Live  simply.

Love generously.

Care  deeply.

Speak kindly.

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!

and have a lovely weekend

Status/dangerous/victimised dogs?

If anyone was watching GMTV yesterday, you would have seen this piece about ‘dangerous’ dogs and Liverpool Council’s ideas about how to try to prevent attacks.

As you will see from all the comments, this has sparked a lot of controversy – what do you think?

Microchip reunites dog with owners nearly 100 miles away!

Chips like these are delicious, but not as useful as microchips!

Here at Grove Lodge we impress on owners the importance of getting your pets microchipped and stories like the one belowshow why.

An 8 month old cocker spaniel puppy, Millie, disappeared whilst out on a walk near her home in Middlesex a month ago. Despite frantic searching by her distraught owners, Millie was nowhere to be found.

However, a month later the couple received a phone call from the Chichester dog warden saying they had found Millie happily playing in a country lane with another little dog!

The dog warden scanned her and, finding she was chipped, called her very grateful owners.

Millie would never have been traced had it not been for her microchip.

If your pet is not chipped, contact your local branch of Grove Lodge today to book an appointment. It can be done in a routine appointment, takes just a few seconds, costs less than £17 and is  a permanent means of identifying your pet. Do it today!