Lame Excuse
One of the best things a child can receive is a pet dog. Dogs are loyal to the core and will stick with you through thick or thin. All they ask in return is your love, your company, and that you don’t step on their tail very often. When we lose our loyal pet, our world comes crashing down.
The OP lost their dog when their parents accidentally hit it with their car. They buried the body and told their child that little Fido must’ve run off. After a couple of days, the OP figured that the dog must’ve been dead. They learned the truth a year after the fact when one of dad’s friends, who witnessed the entire thing, let it slip during dinner one night.