Animal euthanasia

Animal euthanasia is the process of helping an animal end its life as painlessly as possible. It is carried out in various environments, including in veterinary offices, in homes, and on farms or ranches. Most veterinary professionals do not advocate for euthanasia unless an animal’s quality of life has been severely compromised, and it is unlikely to recover. In some cases, though, veterinarians are asked to euthanize healthy animals. This is done because resources are not available to care for them, or they exhibit persistent behavioral problems. However, many veterinarians prefer to explore alternatives before euthanizing healthy animals.

When euthanizing a pet, most veterinarians utilize a chemical compound that first renders the animal unconscious. Once the animal loses consciousness, the drugs given paralyze parts of the body essential for life, painlessly causing the animal to pass. On farms, because a veterinarian may not be immediately present or the use of drugs may compromise the carcass, a penetrating bolt or firearm may be used to painlessly end the animal’s life.

Background

Euthanasia refers to the process of hastening the death of a living being. It is commonly utilized to relieve suffering when the process of dying has robbed the individual of all quality of life and recovery is unlikely or impossible. Throughout human history, when injured people were not expected to recover, their companions and loved ones often sought to reduce their suffering during the process of dying. For example, accounts exist of soldiers quickly ending the lives of their badly wounded allies. Other accounts tell of people pulling on the legs of criminals who were being executed by hanging, reducing the time it would take for the criminals to die.

During the nineteenth century, physicians across much of the world began to prescribe morphine to treat pain. Morphine was used to treat a variety of illnesses, including pain from diseases, injuries, and the dying process. Surgeons believed that the use of morphine while dying would allow patients to die with more dignity, easing their suffering and allowing them to pass peacefully. However, using morphine to induce death instead of easing the pain of passing remained controversial. Additionally, morphine quickly proved both highly addictive when used as a pain medication. Some doctors disapproved of the use of painkillers, arguing that suffering was an intentional part of a divinely designed life process.

During the mid-nineteenth century, many doctors began substituting morphine with chloroform. Chloroform rendered patients unconscious, was less addictive, and caused fewer negative side effects than morphine. Though these drugs greatly enhanced surgery and end-of-life care, the act of a medical doctor intentionally ending a patient’s life remained taboo.

In 1906, bills that would legalize the practice of euthanasia were introduced in both Ohio and Iowa. Later known as the “chloroform bills,” these pieces of legislation sparked debate among the medical community across the United States. Much of the medical community remained against the practice, despite allegations that euthanasia was commonly carried out throughout the world. In 1912, a case in which friends of a woman suffering from terminal medical illness assisted her in ending her life was dismissed, lending support to the euthanasia legalization movement. In 1935, the Voluntary Euthanasia Legalization Society was founded in England, which worked to publicly lobby for the legalization of euthanasia in England. This society argued that choosing between life and death was a patient’s right, not a doctor’s right. If a patient wanted to end their own suffering, doctors must respect that decision.

The Vatican ruled that passive euthanasia, meaning the removal of vital resources from someone who is unable to care for themselves, is acceptable in 1957. In 1994, Oregon became the first state to legalize assisted death procedures. After this, it was legalized in several other states, including Washington, Vermont, and California. In these states, doctors are unable to administer the life-ending medication but may provide such medication to patients, allowing them to commit suicide in a safe and convenient manner.

Overview

Like human euthanasia, animal euthanasia is intended to reduce suffering. It is a method of killing that spares an animal from unresolvable painful conditions. The procedure is typically carried out by a veterinarian, who may help animal owners decide whether the procedure is correct in each specific situation. If alternative care is available, veterinarians may advise against the use of euthanasia.

Numerous countries and veterinary associations have developed guidelines for the application of animal euthanasia. When choosing the appropriate euthanasia method, veterinarians must consider the effectiveness of various methods on a particular animal species. For example, large animals may require different euthanasia procedures than small animals. Additionally, veterinarians must consider the reliability of the methods in question, the emotional effect that the method has on viewers and staff, the time required for each method to cause the animal to lose consciousness, and the legal requirements of the area in which they practice.

Most methods for animal euthanasia can be broken down into three categories. The first directly suppresses the neurons necessary for life to function, rapidly causing an animal to pass away. The second category induces hypoxia, reducing the amount of oxygen in the body and eventually ending the animal’s life. The third category includes any method that physically disrupts brain activity.

Because euthanasia methods are intended to cause as little distress to the animal as possible, they should be carried out painlessly. Most common methods of euthanasia cause the animal to rapidly lose consciousness. Once the animal is unconscious, they are unable to feel the pain of passing. Many medical professionals recommend the use of an anesthetic overdose to induce consciousness, then the loss of motor, respiratory, or cardiac function.

Veterinarians who carry out animal euthanasia procedures must consider the emotional connection between the animal and its owner. They must note that the owner will be distressed by any suffering the animal exhibits. For this reason, as well as the ethics associated with performing euthanasia, veterinarians must ensure that animals under their care suffer as little as possible. Veterinarians should also note that while they may discuss euthanasia as an option or volunteer to perform the procedure, the animal’s owner will ultimately make the decision.

Pet owners consider euthanasia in a wide variety of circumstances. In most cases, euthanasia becomes a notable option when health issues cause an animal’s quality of life to severely decline. People define quality of life in different ways, but declines are most notable when animals can no longer care for themselves or partake in activities that they previously enjoyed. Though many animals may hide their suffering, pet owners can look for signs of declining health, which often include sudden or severe weight loss, hiding, excessive sleeping, and a loss of mobility.

In many cases, the owner will choose to be present with the animal during its last moments. However, should the owner decline to be present, the veterinarian and their staff will be responsible for ensuring that the animal remains as comfortable as possible. In animals accustomed to human contact, such as most pets, this may include providing physical touch and a soothing voice to help calm the animal during the process.

The veterinarian is also responsible for planning the specific sequence of medications or treatments used to kill the animal painlessly. They must also carry out the procedure in a manner that does not create any unnecessary suffering. Many veterinarians also attempt to comfort the animal’s owner during this time.

Euthanasia may be carried out differently in farm environments, mainly because the animal may be large enough to significantly harm people during the euthanasia process. Because of this, a farm animal is usually restrained during the process.

When possible, farmers may use an intravenous overdose of barbiturates, helping the animal pass as painlessly as possible. However, this can only be carried out by veterinary professionals, and none may be available at the time. Additionally, drug residue may make the carcass unusable as a meat source. Other methods include the use of a captive bolt, which penetrates the skull and brain, immediately rendering the animal desensitized. Finally, some farmers prefer to utilize a firearm to end the animal’s life as quickly as possible.

Following the euthanasia of pets, the veterinarian must confirm that the animal has died before engaging in any disposal processes. In some cases, it can be difficult to tell if a heavily sedated animal has passed away. Veterinarians use several criteria to determine whether an animal is deceased. These included checking for a graying of the mucous membranes, looking for the physical signs of a pulse, checking for torso movement associated with breathing, looking for reflexive corneal movement, and the use of a stethoscope to check for sounds related to breathing and heartbeats.

Once several of these categories are satisfied and the veterinarian has confirmed death, they may dispose of the remains. Many areas have strict legal regulations governing the method by which animal remains must be disposed. These regulations typically require disposing of remains in a manner that does not contaminate local food sources or unnecessarily pollute the environment. Some pet owners opt for burials, while others prefer cremation.

In some instances, animal owners request that a veterinarian euthanize a healthy animal because of behavioral issues, such as aggression and continual property damage, as well as poor socialization and resistance to training. Most veterinarians attempt to avoid this outcome, working to find a way for the animal to live a healthy and fulfilling life. This may involve rehoming the animal, seeking additional training, or treating any underlying or unrecognized health problems. However, in many regions, it is legal for an owner to request that a healthy animal be euthanized. However, this does not always prevent the animal from being killed. If a veterinarian refuses to euthanize a healthy animal, that animal will likely be sent to a shelter. If the animal is not viewed as adoptable, it may be euthanized at that location.

Euthanizing animals at shelters is controversial but considered necessary by much of the veterinary community. In many instances, animal shelters do not have the space, resources, and funds required to care for the number of animals they receive. Many of these animals are unlikely to be adopted, and thus would provide a significant drain on the shelter’s resources over time. For these reasons, many shelters euthanize animals that are unlikely to be adopted within a short period. As animal control agencies are not required to keep statistics on the number of animals taken in, adopted, and euthanized, the exact number of healthy animals euthanized annually in the United States is unknown. However, many shelters report that they are overcrowded, and thus lean on euthanasia to ensure that they have enough resources to continue finding animals homes.

Some states offer additional legal protections to healthy animals. For example, California law states that animals cannot be euthanized if they can be rehomed or treated. Other states offer additional legal protections covering the methods by which animals can be euthanized, ensuring that the process is carried out in a humane manner. By 2024, more than half of the shelters in the United States were no-kill shelters, meaning that animals who can be rehomed are allowed to remain at the shelter indefinitely rather than being euthanized. New Hampshire and Delaware are no-kill states, or states that only have no-kill shelters.

Bibliography

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“Euthanasia.” AVMA, 2024, www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/euthanasia. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

“Is It Time to Euthanize My Dog or Cat?” One Health, 2021, www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/animal-shelter-euthanasia-2/. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Johnson, Cia L., and Emily G. Patterson-Kane. “Euthanasia of Animals.” Merck Manual, Feb. 2020, www.merckvetmanual.com/clinical-pathology-and-procedures/euthanasia/euthanasia-of-animals. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Pellegren, Jenina. “The Reality of Owner-Requested or Convenience Euthanasia.” DVM360, 5 Oct. 2016, www.dvm360.com/view/the-reality-of-owner-requested-or-convenience-euthanasia. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.