Laws governing pet euphanasia

Factual Questions
1

I live on a small farm and have three dogs. The oldest is 15 yrs. old and, being a larger breed (GR) she has been exhibiting hip dysplasia and liver problems, and now we suspect (tests pending) that she has a pancreatic disorder which (if it is positive) will result in lots of pain. It has been suggested that we should begin to prepare ourselves should we have to put the old girl down.

I am hesitant to ask the vet what the laws are regarding putting an animal down & burial. I want to administer the drug (I suspect it is like overdosing on sleeping pills) to my dog at home so that she is relaxed and comfortable when she dies.
I do not want her to be put down anywhere but home, and I do not want a stranger to come out to inject her.

I would also like the option of burying her on my property ( I have alot of private land). I am hesitant to ask my veterinarian because if I learn that it is illegal (or not an option) to put her down myself at home, I will simply do it myself anyway. It can’t be too hard to procure prescription sleeping pills. I have two candidates that I have lined up in the physician’s desk reference. They will put her to sleep and simply slow the heart until it fails.

Now I obviously would not ask anyone to incriminate themselves, nor do I want to incite any moral/judicial discussions, I simply want to know if anyone has or has heard of doing something similar.

2

I am not a lawyer, nor do I portray one on TV… :slight_smile:

As far as actual experience, I think the rule of thumb is that you can do whatever you want with your pets as long as nobody complains. It’s perfectly permissible to keep 150 cats in your house–as long as the neighbors don’t complain. As soon as they complain to the Powers That Be, suddenly you get a crash course in the Law.

As long as nobody complains about your putting your own dog to sleep with your own sleeping pills, you’re OK. As long as none of your neighbors finds out that you’ve buried your dog in your back yard, you’re OK.

As far as the legal penalties if somebody did find out that you did these heinous things (sarcasm enabled), I have no idea. I doubt if they would be terribly severe. Possibly a fine…? I seem to remember reading somewhere that it is usually against most city codes to bury animals within the city limits, but you said you live on a farm?

Here’s a thought–check with the local county extension service regarding disposal of dead livestock.

And if you truly live out in the boonies, I can’t imagine anybody at all caring what you do with your dog, unless you have some truly extraordinarily nosy neighbors (or relatives). :rolleyes:

But I’m glad you’re so conscientious. :slight_smile:

3

Uh-oh, I just realized I should have told you something else–

You don’t want to know all the gruesome details, but if you do try to euthanize your dog using sleeping pills, make really sure that she’s dead before burying her. Really sure as it waiting a couple of days to see if she starts to stink. I know it sounds awful, but…Like I said, you don’t want to know.

Lay her out in state somewhere, like they do with dead kings, maybe out in the garage or the toolshed, cover her with a blanket, and wait a day or two. As soon as flies appear, you’ll know she’s really dead. Flies have an infallible instinct for rotting meat–that’s their evolutionary niche. (I know you don’t like to think of your beloved pet as rotting meat, but the alternative is to take a chance on perpetrating something out of an Edgar Allan Poe story.) :eek:

This is where the custom of wakes originated–people needed to be sure the deceased really was dead (although they usually didn’t wait until the corpse actually had flies buzzing around it).

4

First of all, ALL of this is dependent on your local regulations. In other words, you need to check the laws in your area.

The euthanasia drugs used by vets are NOT simply an overdose of sleeping pills. Euthanasia drugs work almost instantaneously and must be given IV or will cause undesirable problems (don’t remember exactly what). Obviously, your vet may be unwilling to allow an unexperienced person (namely YOU) to administer such a drug. However, you could certainly ASK the vet if it would be possible. Any good vet will certainly allow you to remain with and probably hold your pet while she is euthanized (assuming, of course, that you’re not hysterical or some such), even if they won’t let you actually inject the drug due to the technical requirements. I don’t believe any vet will give you “Euthanol” to take home; it is a dangerous substance and the vet is responsible for it. I would hope that you have a vet that you see regularly if you have 3 dogs, which would mean that your pet is NOT dealing with a stranger. However, if you live rurally, a farm vet (e.g. large animal) is much more likely to make house calls; your regular city vet probably won’t.

On the other hand, it is more than likely not illegal for you to kill your own dog, as long as you do it humanely. <No, I am NOT interested in ANY discussion as the humaneness/morality of euthanizing pets. I’m talking LEGAL matters here.> Again, please check your local laws to be sure - animal cruelty laws are local mandates. However, sleeping pills are notoriously tricky to administer correctly for the purposes of euthanasia, and the reference materials you are using are written for HUMANS, not dogs. Again, I would suggest talking to your vet. Explain what you want and why and discuss options and possibilities. Most vets are very understanding people and I don’t think that your vet will be under any obligation to report you to authorities for merely asking about these things, especially if they are “hypothetical” questions. Best case, s/he will actively work with you to meet your requirements; worst case, s/he will tell you it’s not possible to do what you want (which you can simply ignore, if you wish). Middle of the road, s/he may be able to help you with dosages & such.

BUT, burying your pet can definitely be illegal, depending on where you live. Check your city ordinances - most cities ban burying pets on private property for health reasons. If you’re rural, you may not have a problem. However, it’s not like they have a “dead pet patrol” combing the streets looking for offenders. I’ve known many people to quietly bury their pets in their backyards (not that I would do that; it is, after all, illegal and wrong!) with no problems. It’s generally one of those things that is only enforced upon complaints from neighbors, etc. As far as the vet goes, they will certainly offer/suggest that you allow them to handle the remains (generally by cremation), but you can simply tell them that you’ve made other arrangements. They can’t MAKE you leave your pet. (There are actually pet cemeteries & everything.)

When it comes down to it, I would say that your best bet is to talk honestly with your veterinarian, assuming you have one that you feel is trustworthy. (If you don’t have such a vet, then FIND ONE NOW.) They will most likely know the relevant laws (at least the ones around here do), and will be able to help you figure out the best way to handle your situation. You sound like your primary interest is the comfort of your dog, and that is something that a vet will understand and agree with. Now you need to be sure that you have the knowledge and/or materials to actually accomplish the task without causing your pet any needless suffering due to your lack of such.

In case you’re wondering, my spouse was an emergency veterinary technician for some years and I spent a fair amount of time in that clinic. Their main problem was people who REFUSED to sign the legal paperwork required for the vet to put down a pet because “I just couldn’t do that” to the pet, preferring to leave their animal at the vet’s to die a slow and painful death. I know their reaction to your situation would have been to give you as much help and/or information as they could.

The adage “Knowledge is Power” is incorrect. The correct formulation is “Knowledge that other people don’t have is Power”. - The Donald

5

feszyk writes:

It’s unlikely in the extreme that any ethical physician or veterinarian will supply a means of euthanasia that fits this bill. It’s possible that you can scam it out of somebody, but the consequences of trying and failing will be non-trivial.

Anything that will give your dog a quiet, painless death will also give a person a quiet, painless death. Nothing personal implied, but do you want veterinarians handing that sort of thing over anyone who says that they want to put down their dog?

“I don’t just want you to feel envy. I want you to suffer, I want you to bleed, I want you to die a little bit each day. And I want you to thank me for it.” – What “Let’s just be friends” really means