Animal Euthanasia - Reasons For Euthanasia

Reasons For Euthanasia

• Terminal illness – e.g. cancer
• Rabies
• Behavioral problems (usually ones that cannot be corrected) – e.g. aggression
• Illness or broken limbs that would cause suffering for the animal to live with, or when the owner cannot afford (or has a moral objection to) treatment
• Old age – deterioration leading to loss of major bodily functions, resulting in severe impairment of the quality of life
• Lack of homes – Most shelters receive considerably more surrendered animals than they are capable of re-housing. This may be attributed to irresponsible owners who do not spay or neuter pets (which results in unwanted litters), as well the tendency of consumers to obtain pets via means other than adoption. Most pets turned in to animal shelters are not adopted.
• Animal testing – Before, during or after use in testing, animals may be euthanized. For example, an experiment may consist of breeding rats with a certain genetic defect. After behavioural tests, the rat is euthanised, dissected and examined.

Small animal euthanasia is typically performed in a veterinary clinic or hospital or in an animal shelter and is usually carried out by a veterinarian or a veterinary technician working under the veterinarian's supervision. Often animal shelter workers are trained to perform euthanasia as well. Some veterinarians will perform euthanasia at the pet owner's home—this is virtually mandatory in the case of large animal euthanasia. In the case of large animals which have sustained injuries, this will also occur at the site of the accident, for example, on a racecourse.

Some animal rights organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals support animal euthanasia in certain circumstances and practice euthanasia at shelters that they operate.