Guide
Why dogs don't live as long as we do: the story of Belker
A story owners have shared for years, about a family saying goodbye to their dog and what their six-year-old son said afterwards.
Sunny, owner“I wish my dog lived as long as I do.”Updated
I'm an owner, not a vet. This is not veterinary advice, so check anything medical with your own vet.
Key facts
- This is a story owners have shared for years. No one knows who first wrote it down, so it's a story people retell, not a record of a real family.
- If you're facing this for your own dog, your vet can talk it through with you, and you don't have to decide alone.
I never give insulin amounts here. Yours comes from your vet's written plan.
About this story
A story owners have shared for years. No one knows who first wrote it down, so I can't promise it happened exactly like this. This is how I'd tell it.
It's about a dog at the end of his life, so it's gentle, but it isn't an easy read.
The story of Belker
A vet was asked to visit a family at home. Their dog, a big old wolfhound called Belker, had cancer, and there was nothing more anyone could do to make him well. The family had decided it was time to let him go.
The parents wanted their six-year-old son, Shane, to be there. They hoped it might help him understand, and they wanted him to have the chance to say goodbye.
The vet wondered how a boy that young would take it. Shane stayed close to Belker the whole time, stroking his head, quiet and calm. Belker died at home, with his family around him.
Shane stayed quiet. There's no right way for a family to look in that moment.
Afterwards they sat together, and the adults began talking about how unfair it is that dogs' lives are so much shorter than ours. They kept wondering out loud why it should be that way.
Shane had been listening. Then he spoke up, as if the answer were obvious. People, he said, are here to learn how to love well and be kind, and it takes us a whole life to learn it. And then he finished the thought.
Why I keep coming back to it
If your own dog is near the end, what if I can no longer manage my dog's care? and my diabetic dog died. Did I do something wrong? are written for you. And if you want to know what the studies say about time, how long do diabetic dogs live? goes through it gently.
If your dog is near the end, your vet can help you think it through, and you don't have to decide alone. Whatever you choose out of love for him is not a failure.
Sources
- How long do diabetic dogs live?What the studies say about time
- My diabetic dog died. Did I do something wrong?For the days after
- What if I can no longer manage my dog's care?When you're facing the decision
Every outside source I used is listed on the Sources page.
Related
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My diabetic dog died. Did I do something wrong?
I'm so sorry your dog has died.
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