Ethics

[Milly]

A question that has been bumbling around my head since my poor little kitten was attacked by a dog is
Is it ethically right to put down an animal to cease its pain?
There are many sides to this for and against argument.
I for one love my animals to bits, consider them not as a pet but as an equal and i wouldn't want them to suffer but if i were put in the sisuation of deciding whether or not there life should end, i don't think i could answer.
I believe that when peoples time come it's there time and by "ending someones pain" would contredict *spelling this.
Also when people are in pain slowly and painfully dying in a hospital doctors can't simply just go over and end their life should this be the same for animals?
Please people post your views i am eager to see what every one else believes.
B.B
Milly

[willowfairy]

i voted 'maybe'

if the animal cannot get better, you can't fix what's wrong, then yes, you should let it go. but if it's suffering but CAN get better, i believe you should let it live. but i'm reffering to pets.

[Socharis]

I voted yes, because its the humain thing to do.

Just my two bits worth.

[flar7]

I was raised in the country and have had put many pets down in my life. It is heartbreaking each and every time. You look into their eyes, see their pain and are faced with a decision.
Sometimes they cant be helped. Sometimes you cant afford the treatment, sometimes you cant even afford to have the vet put them down and have to do it yourself. Life is not about being fair.
It is about living, making choices, and living with those choices.

I posted a poem about this very thing awhile back. I will try to find it and bump it up. It is in the Literature forum, titled "I know its sad..." I think that was the heading.

[Myst]

You know, an animal can let you know if it wants to go. And if you listen carefully it will. In general if the animal is in pain that can't be alleviated I believe it should be put down. If it's not in pain but is still dying, I don't think it should be. Anyone can tell. And if you're open you can ask the animal. In the 4+ years I worked at a vet clinic I've had to be there for many, and sometimes it was really their time to go.

[Swanspirit]

Some people are in denial about their pets , just as they are about the people in their lives . I think that the feral cats in some communities that breed out of control , have and spread diseases ( A rabid kitten bit a child in Ocean City not very long ago ) should be humanely put down. It isnt their fault, but they are usually sick, prey on the local bird and vole population and are really a health hazard .
I think if they can be adopted out and kept healthy yes, but once feral they are not reclaimable , and if they arent spayed they will breed out of control most of the time the litters dying miserable deaths, either from starvation infestation or disease. And I just rescued one kitten from an abandoned litter , and he is doing just fine now, but he almost died, I sat up with him for two nights , chased him around with a "diaper" for two more because he had diarrhea (YUCK!!!!!!!!) and several of the kittens from his litter died they were so sick .
I definitely think dyingand or suffering animals should be gently and humanely put down. I dont even understand the hesitation. I wouldnt want any animal of mine to suffer needlessy if it were dying and suffering. Doesnt mean I wouldnt grieve....... and I have a cat that is over 16 years old and very healthy ......but AS much I would be upset, I would not let her suffer.
I would say goodbye , as hard as that would be .......but if I couldnt keep her out of pain......
I would let her go.
Love and Light
Swannie

[Milly]

Would be either it was sick or in some sort of acciedent.
My poor kitten was attacked by a dog. She is going in for an operation next week so she should be ok...
I guess her aciedent got me thinking..
Milly

[cydira]

Well, I clicked yes. The issue at hand is more then just a matter of putting an animal down if it is in pain or not, in my opinion. I also grew up in the country. We've had to put down pets that were too old to fend for themselves and couldn't abide being a house pet. We've also had to put down pets that we couldn't afford to get them proper medical treatment, which in both cases would have only prolonged the enevitable suffering.

If the animal is in pain that you can not remedy, and you have exhausted all resources available to you, then it is humane to put it down. If the animal is too old or injured to defend itself from the dangers of the environment it lives in, then it is also humane to put it down. I do not advocate putting pets down because you can not afford them or because you're allergic to them. Unfortunately, I know people who have done things just like that. :(

We're not just responcible for making sure that our pets, or any animal, doesn't feel pain of an extended sort. We're responcible for the health and well being of that animal. Killing a rabid dog is as much a mercy to the dog as it is to the community. Often, animals that have severe illnesses or psychological traumas that make them act insane are slowly suffering, but most people for some reason choose not to view the rabid dog as suffering. I often find that people view them as a malicious force sent to attack our loved ones. <shakes her head> But that attitude seems to be confined mostly to cities. <shrugs>

But there's my rambling 2 cents. :)

[Myst]

I have been present when a cat was put down because the owner's were moving and having it put down was cheaper then taking it to the humane society. I kid you not. It's a sad, sad world.

[Swanspirit]

yes it is sometimes ........But these kitties are OK !!!!!!

[Amora]

A few months ago I had to put my dog to sleep, he had canine leukeimia (SP?). A few weeks ago my brothers dog had to be put down because she developed a raging fever overnight and was unable to regain her functions..she was 17 yrs old and was left unable to even stand up. It was incredibly sad for me both times. And I struggled with the same questions...is it ethical or humane? But when it's all said and done I know it was the right thing to do. All the times I've had to let my pets go (I've had many) the vet has always had to tell me that there really was no hope. Although it hurts me to be left behind, I know they've gone to a better place and will be there waiting for me in my death. So I voted yes because I feel sometimes there is no other choice but to watch them suffer, and I cannot do that.

[Dathan]

i agree that if the animal is sick or hurt and unable to recover, then it's ethical to put it down. animals and humans are not spiritually equal in my opinion so this ethic does not apply to humans who are sick or hurt.
i worked as a veterinary assistant and did see pet owners wanting to put animals to sleep for disturbing reason, like willow raven mentioned. but as far as an animal being sick beyond recovery, yes it's ethical in my opinion to put it to sleep.

[Mairwen]

Not spiritually equal? According to your Path and views, maybe that's true. According to mine, everything and everyone are absolutely equal! Period.

[Twilight Garden]

I said maybe because it depends on the situation. Our local Animal Shelter kills animals that are taking up space for too long. I wish that didn't have to happen.

But when it is decided in the BEST interest of the animal... it's sad, but ethical.

Where did those people live that it was cheaper to put down the animal than take it to the humane society? It was $100 to put down your animal at the Vet Clinic I teched at.

[flar7]

we often put down our own animals. Costs a bullet. Not saying that its right, just that in some areas of the country thats the way it is. A man down on his luck or having hard times realizes that he cant drive 40 miles to the vet and pay 100 dollars to put the animal down. It doesnt mean he doesnt care, he often has a family that looks to him to help the family pet, and sometimes the only way he can is to take it for that "last walk."
We have humane societies and s.p.o.t. (save pets of tahlequah) but they are usually full and will not help when it comes to euthanizing an animal, even when it is the right thing to do. Not saying that they dont euthanize animals, just not yours.

It truly saddens me that the world is not more fair to animals. Or more accurately, that we are not more fair to our animals. I wish that their was an organization that would help with the expenses of having or raising animals. But it would probably be abused.

[Myst]

It costs less then $20 for the shot, so $100 IS a bit pricey.

That could be why people also tend to drop their pets off on the road instead of taking them to a shelter or putting them down.

[Milly]

Where my family get our animals is this animal shelter. Its actually someone's farm and they dont ever put animals down when the animals get to old for anyone to want them they keep them so when you arrive at the house you are greeted by hundreds of cats its sooo sweet!
Milly

[Twilight Garden]

That sounds like a really nice place, Milly. Nice people too. I wish I could afford to do something like that.

About the $100, I did work at a very "upscale" (or snobby if you prefer) Clinic. So I have no idea about average prices.

[Drakka]

Last summer I spent some time with my mum who was going through an extremely turbulant divorce. Her beautiful loving pet dog, Jack, was at the same time dying of cancer. Jack got sicker and sicker and passed the point where I myself would have had him put to sleep. Because her heart was so broken over what was going on in her life she couldn't let go of Jack. Finaly, at long last the day came where she could no longer deny his suffering and we made the appointment. We took him for a last ride to the park where the vet doctor agreed to meet us. We put out his blanket and he laid down for the final time.

When it was over for Jack, we took his body to the river and did a Summerland ritual for him. Just as we fininshed, out of nowhere, came a dog running. The dog was so obviously having the time of his life and we took it as a sign that we had done the right thing to release Jack from his suffering. We cried and cried, and laughed and cried some more. We felt his spirit in the following days and even had some unexplainable things happen around the house which could only have been him. The energy of his spirit was so bright and powerful after he was out of his body.

I have pets of my own that I would not hesitate to separate their souls from their bodies if they were in an unrecoverable position. I'm sad that the same cannot be done for me if ever I needed it.

[Ball-Bhreac Ròn]

I reckon yes, cos we're always preaching about how animals should be treated the same as humans, so I reckon this should include the bad as well as the good, IMHO. But also there's the whole side of euthenasia (right word??? spelling??!?!!), which I think is right. It is better to die quickly then to suffer and then die anyway.
Sorry if someone else as already said all this, but Ionly skimmed through the replies because I wanted to get my answer down before I forgot it...

[willa]

I voted a definite yes. If there is no hope for recovery then it's the kindest & most humane thing to do. Anytime I've had to euthanize an animal, I've insisted on being present & held them in my arms while they passed. During that time I've often felt we are kinder to animals then we are to humans in that regard.
I also feel it's the kindest for ferrel animals that can't be socialized or those that are too aggressive to be trusted. It's sad & it bothers me because both these situations are due to human activity but for health & safty reasons, unfortunately, it's the best course of action.

[BadVixen]

i voted 'maybe'

if the animal cannot get better, you can't fix what's wrong, then yes, you should let it go. but if it's suffering but CAN get better, i believe you should let it live. but i'm reffering to pets.

I feel that way as well, it is a hard thing to think about but I know that I feel worse when an animal is in pain.....

[wolfjan1]

Absolutely! Look at the quality of the life they would have if you should force them to live beyond their capacity.
I ALSO believe that humans should never be allowed to suffer either. There are MANY drugs out there that Dr.s can give to humans to stop their pain, but sometimes it is just too much. We MUST also allow human beings to die with their own dignity intact.

[BadVixen]

Absolutely! Look at the quality of the life they would have if you should force them to live beyond their capacity.
I ALSO believe that humans should never be allowed to suffer either. There are MANY drugs out there that Dr.s can give to humans to stop their pain, but sometimes it is just too much. We MUST also allow human beings to die with their own dignity intact.

I agree, I mean we have a fear of death that should not be there, and if we all lived more natural lives I think things would be a lot better. I hate it when people pull out the whole "Its murder" thing with both animals and humans.....

[Willow Rosette]

I love my animals as much as my child and I believe because I am the one responsible for them if they are to the point where they can no longer live a happy and healthy life and be pain free then I will make the decision to be put down. It would break my heart for sure, but I would rather that than know I made them suffer by keeping them here.

I would want to be treated with that same level of respect if I was the one sick and dying as well.

[TheWomanMonster]

yes.