FIDO
The snow was falling like a curtain and a white blanket covered the ground. We walked to a draw perhaps a half mile from the house. When we reached the place, my brother took a piece of rope and tied him to a stake. Then he walked away a few paces, raised he gun and fired. There was a sharp yelp and a whimpering sound. The body quivered and lay still. Fido was dead. That scene is still clear in my memory. It happened long ago. I was a small boy. I do not know why it was decided that he should be destroyed. I only know it happened. Even now the question still is not answered. Why did he have to die that way? He was the faithful family dog for as far back as I can remember. Surely he served us well. Perhaps he was getting old and no longer useful or it may be that he was about to die and it seemed best to end his misery. The question keeps coming back to trouble me. I know that my family were not inclined to be cruel to animals, therefore I choose to believe that they thought it would be merciful to end his life. Death, even the death of an animal, is not easy to deal with. It is so final. Life has ceased and the body grows cold and still. Oh yes, we do it in a different way today. We take our pet to the vet and we say a last tender goodbye. Later, when we have gone the vet takes a syringe in hand and he injects a lethal dose. We are told that it is painless. They just fade away. Perhaps it is so. Who really knows? This I do know. A life was lived and now it is over. No more will that cold nose ^^ touch the palm of the hand in silent greeting. Never again in the early dawn will we go forth to meet the day. We were content and we shared a special secret. We communed as only man and dog can. Now it is over. I must ask you to understand. Has anything really changed? The stalk of corn grows and it bears the grain and then it dies; and so it is in the animal kingdom. All that is born must die.