This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
A Case for Animal Euthanasia ¶
Published on October 1, 2019
As I reflect on the loss of my pet, Kali, I am reminded of the difficult decision that pet owners often face: whether to euthanize their beloved animal or let them suffer. Three years ago, my brothers and I adopted Kali, a black puppy that we named after the Swahili word for 'tough and vicious.' We raised him to maturity, built a kennel for him, and had him treated by the vet when he fell sick. But one fateful morning, we woke up to find Kali writhing in pain, immobile from his waist downwards. He had been hit hard by a blunt object, probably by a person whom he threatened to attack at the wee hours of the night.
Fast forward a week later, and Kali died a painful death. I remember shedding hot and painful tears after helping my brothers bury him. I still think about him from time to time and wonder if I would have embraced euthanizing him to ease his death.
The decision to euthanize a beloved pet is one of the most heart-wrenching decisions pet lovers can make. Every pet family with an ill, aging pet hopes their pet will die naturally. However, pets rarely die peacefully in their sleep, forcing most pet families to make a decision to euthanize their favorite fur baby.
Animal euthanasia did not begin with Sudan, the northern white rhino at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia, who was euthanized due to old age complications. Sudan was one of the only three living northern white rhinos in the world and the last known male of his subspecies.
So why would someone opt to euthanize their pet? First, it helps with closure and saying goodbye on your own terms. Losing a beloved pet can be hard, especially when you know they died alone and you were not able to say goodbye or comfort them. You can feel guilty and sad, but with euthanasia, you are able to decide when pets will be put to sleep, ensuring they die in the most dignified and comfortable way possible.
Euthanasia also saves animals from suffering. They have a shorter life span than humans, so you will witness your pet become sick, even frequently when they grow old, as some will even have difficulty controlling their bowels. As their bones and other body parts become older, they will undergo a lot of pain, but you can help them avoid too much suffering by putting them to sleep before their condition worsens.
It also saves you from incurring huge medical bills. Veterinary bills can be expensive, and paying for pet insurance can be challenging for families that cannot afford it. Considering that such bills would skyrocket as your pets require more and more medical insurance as they get older, euthanasia can be a more humane option.
According to Ian Mureithi from the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA), euthanasia is universally accepted by the World Organization for Animal Health. He says it should only be done when the animal or pet is suffering more and when under terminal illnesses or organ failure, in which they will not respond to treatment or there is no cure.
Preceding that, the animal should be assessed by a veterinary surgeon to determine whether the animal should be put to sleep or not. Even then, putting an animal to sleep should be done in a humane way that ensures the animal feels minimal pain or no pain at all. Animals can also be made unconscious prior to slaughtering or death.
However, when it ultimately comes to putting your pet to sleep, nobody can tell you what the right decision is for your pet. So if you are struggling with the decision, you can talk to your veterinarian about your pet's condition and ask for advice on how to best help them.
