Is Euthanizing your own pet ethical?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

One of my best friends lives in the country on a (non-working) farm. Lots of space to dig holes, legal to shoot firearms within that area of the township, etc…

When one of his beloved pets (dog or cat) has come to the time to meet it’s maker, my friend does it himself: A quick bullet while the animal is standing in the hole it will be buried in.

I love you boy. I know you loved me too! Hope to see you again in the next life! BOOM!

Morally and ethically, I, personally, don’t have a problem with this. It’s quick, painless, cheap, and it’s not like he’s doing this every other weekend. He looks them in the eyes while doing it. And I know, for a fact, that he loves the living mother loving shit out of every pet he has or has ever had and treats them extremely well during life. He just doesn’t want to pay a vet to do it with an injection. Besides, AFAIK this is/was how most farmers said goodbye to their old farm dogs. WTF is the big deal?

But, my sister-in-law (the “liberal Republican”, chew on that for a while) who lives by my friend insists that it’s disgusting and is not happy that the town constable says there are no laws being broken. FYI this is a “YUPPIE” rural area where middle/upper middle class folks live on farms but are not farming anything.
Anyway, what say you?

D’oh!!! The title got screwed up! Please edit it to say “Is Euthanizing your own pet ethical?”

#2

Not getting into the debate, but since you don’t say that you self-reported, I dropped the mods a report for the title change.

#3

Does she support people “putting to sleep” animals when they are old/sick? In that case she’s just basically complaining that his method isn’t all neat and sanitized. It looks like what it is, killing. If you are going to kill an animal in the first place, a bullet to the brain is one of the most merciful ways of doing so I’d think; they’d have no time to feel injury. Especially when you are talking about a smallish animal where the bullet will do proportionately more damage and there’s essentially no chance of missing the brain.

#4

As long as it’s a quick, clean kill I don’t really see a problem. We’ve had to put down a few animals in our time as pet owners, and I’m sure that being with people they know, and not in a vet’s office, is a hell of a lot less stressful and upsetting for an animal.

#5

I am fine with it except to worry he’d miss and not kill the animal cleanly. I grant that is unlikely but just saying.

Then again there was this dog who was euthanized twice and managed to live so maybe it is no better.

#6

My only potential issue would be whether he is qualified to judge whether an animal is terminally ill, or simply has a medical issue that could be reasonably resolved (in terms of cost of care and amount of care required) by a trip to the vet.

#7

I’d *prefer *it if this was done by a professional, if only for your friend’s reasoning- if his objection is strictly cost, not because he loves them so much that he *wants *to be the one to do it, it seems a bit inconsistent with how much you say he loves them, that he worries about cost first. I also don’t think it’s a good idea for one’s own general mental health to do this. Vets, I would hope, undergo regular counselling for their professional duties. At least, the vets I know personally do.

I’m not sure it isn’t traumatic for the pet, given that they may have noticed this procedure happen with other pets? But it’s highly unlikely. But I don’t have a moral problem with the fact that it’s a bullet rather than a sedative overdose, or that he’s doing it himself. I mean, most would object to a vet euthenasing his own dying pet, surely? So your SiL is a bit silly, and really just doesn’t like the visceral nature of this method…

#8

I say most liberals are namby pambies, and think this way about stuff like killin’. They don’t really think, actually–hey just sorta feel it in their bones. On average it beats the gun-toters who enjoy killin’, as far as creating a decent society.

Did she have any actual reasoning to back up this feeling? Maybe the Republican in her is OK with having your people do your dirty work for you but not doing it yourself?

I kinda like that title, by the way. Lures us in with curiosity that there is a deep debate here about gravity or intelligence. I was a little sad that it’s only a question about whether or not some liberal has no actual reasoning to “feel” a certain way.

There is nothing wrong about this method of dispatch. Pretty much all the beef we eat is killed with a bolt to the brain, albeit one fired without wasting ammo.

#9

[Mod mod]Changed title from “G” to “Is Euthanizing your own pet ethical?”[/Mod mod]

#10

Perfectly ethical. Performing that last act of mercy to release a companion animal from its suffering is not only ethical, but an admirable display of character. There is no reason to pay a vet to do this procedure if you are capable and willing to do it yourself when the time comes.

#11

I’m a “liberal” and I see no problem with it. While I like pets, I’m pretty unsentimental about the harsh realities of pet ownership. I agree that if you are mentally prepared and have right equipment, it’s a bit of a waste to pay a vet.

#12

Another “liberal” here who sees no problem with it. I’m not sure why there had to be two swipes at liberals, but whatever.

I would have a hard time doing it myself, but then again, I am a bleeding-heart liberal, as was said earlier. :rolleyes:

#13

So, is it OK to Euthanize a liberal? Put them out of their misery and all…

#14

Only if they’re not carbon-neutral.

#15

Considering that he’s sparing them a stressful trip to the vet, I’d say it’s preferable assuming it’s quick. When it comes time, I hope to god we don’t have to take Captain to the vet - he’s terrified of that place.

#16

This is closer to a poll than a debate, off to IMHO.

#17

I’m a liberal, and I’ve euthanized my own pet rats before; they were old, they had tumors, they’d been getting thinner for a while, and it was time. Also, since I work with rodents at work, I probably have painlessly put down more of them than my vet has. I’ve euthanized injured fish, too, but I’m not sure everyone would count them. So, yeah, I’ve got no issue as long as it’s done humanely.
I wouldn’t want to have to put down my own cat or dog, but I would do it if I didn’t have another choice. If the animal was suffering and we couldn’t get to a vet in time, I can imagine situations in which it’s the best option. Letting an animal suffer to death is far more inhumane than a quick, clean death that you have to provide yourself.

#18

I think there is a trend to think everything needs to be done by a professional. It is true some people are incompetent idiots that best not attempt anything, but others are quite capable of making informed decisions and acting on them.

http://kipling.thefreelibrary.com/Power-of-the-Dog

#19

Just adding that it is possible to be there with your pet during a vet’s office euthanization, if that’s the concern. Plus the animals I’ve owned as an adult (ferrets before, rabbits now) really don’t freak out about being at the vet, unlike the cats and dogs that were our family pets when I was a kid.

It’s not legal where I live to be shooting stuff in your backyard, but I think as long as it’s legal by you, you know for sure that Fido wouldn’t be all right after a couple pills or something (preferably an obvious situation or already determined by a vet), and you’re a damned good shot, go for it.

I wouldn’t want to have to do it myself, but if one of my pets was horribly maimed/whatever, I’d do the humane thing and end its suffering myself. For plain old degenerative diseases, cancer, etc. - i.e., every case I’ve dealt with - it’s been a trip to the vet.

(Oh yeah, disclaimers: liberal, vegetarian, loves critters, blah blah blah; husband is an omnivore who hunts, etc.)

#20

I don’t think it’s unethical since they are trying to do it painlessly and all. It might skeeve me a little because it just seems so…hardcore. I’m not sure I could be friends with someone like that because we’d probably have way too different lifestyles but they’re not a bad person or anything.