A man is out walking with his dog, and he begins to realize that this is a special walk, that the two of them have died and they are on their last journey.

The landscape is unfamiliar, a dark wood in a hot and dry climate, and as they walk, the man can see that his companion is getting thirsty. As the path turns, he sees a wall ahead, with a gate and gatekeeper. As he approaches, the gatekeeper smiles and greets him.

"What is this place?" he says when they arrive at the gate.
"Why this is Heaven," the gatekeeper says with a welcoming smile.
"You were killed in an automobile accident; you've probably forgotten. But welcome.... come in."
"Can I get a drink for my friend?"
The gatekeeper frowns sympathetically. "I'm sorry, dogs are not allowed in Heaven."

The man kneels beside his dog and scratches the dog's ear. The dog wags his tail and grins. The man stands up. "Well," he says, "No thanks. We'll keep walking. Perhaps there's a stream in the wood."

The man and his dog continue on the winding trail until, after a while, they come to a second compound with yet another gate. The gatekeeper comes out to greet them.

"Welcome to Heaven," he says.
"Heaven. Hmm. Can I get a drink of water for my friend?"
"Of course, come in."

The three of them pass through the gate.
The man says to the gatekeeper,
"I don't understand. I stopped at another compound back there,
and the gatekeeper said that was Heaven, but no dogs allowed."
"Oh, that's Hell," the gatekeeper says, frowning.

They stop at a running stream and the dog gets his drink.

"Doesn't it bother you that they lie?" the man says.
"Oh we don't mind," the gatekeeper says, "It helps us to
screen out the folks who would abandon their friends."