Euthanasia: people and animals

--LOS-- · 01-06-2014 5:27pm #1

What are your views on euthanasia, with regard to any animals, including humans. Have your views changed as a result of being vegetarian/vegan?

Mine have, I would be for euthanasia for people. I'm also uncomfortable though at the ease of which euthanasia is used on animals.

My cat had a serious stomach op not long back after eating a toy, it wasn't even a question of whether we should or not let her have an operation instead of being put down. The vet was extremely thankful, he said thanks so much for doing this, most people would have just had her put down. Not something I'm shocked by, people put their pets down all the time when they have non-fatal injuries. Thankfully I use a vet that is quite veg-friendly, they don't support breeders etc. It's a little out of our way and neither of us drive so we always have to taxi there and back. The taxis drivers nearly always make some comment like, jeezuz he must be a good vet if you're coming all the way over here, or what brings ye all the way out here for a vet. In reality it's not that far at all, I'm in phibsboro and the vet is in kilmainham. Well the OH half is. Also they're a lot cheaper because they're a charity, so paying for the taxis doesn't bother me.

I just feel like we're so reserved about euthanising people, it's always a touchy subject. But we don't think twice when we do it to animals. Don't understand this.

endacl · 01-06-2014 5:30pm

Because people are people, and we are people. Animals being animals, are not people.

--LOS-- · 01-06-2014 5:31pm

endacl wrote: »

Because people are people, and we are people. Animals being animals, are not people.

But people are animals!

endacl · 01-06-2014 5:36pm

--LOS-- wrote: »

But people are animals!

But animals are not people, and that's the distinction people make!

mistress_gi · 01-06-2014 5:42pm

As I see it like this euthanasia in Ireland is quite high (vets oblige customers that want their animal put down) BUT, it is better than just abandoning your pet. I say this because I come from a country where vet, in general, wont put down a healthy animal and the amount of abandoned dogs, cats and other pets is huge... I think if I still lived there at this stage I would be running a sanctuary from my house

--LOS-- · 01-06-2014 5:45pm

endacl wrote: »

But animals are not people, and that's the distinction people make!

but they are....

we are animals

what's the difference?

a cow is not a human, but a cow is an animal and a human is an animal.

The reason I put this question to vegetarians and vegans is because they don't discriminate against other animals for being non-human, or for having irrelevant physical differences.

endacl · 01-06-2014 5:48pm

Acknowledging obvious difference is not necessarily discrimination. My niece is a person, and an animal. My dog is a dog, and an animal. I wouldn't euthanise either, but I'll only throw a stick for my dog...

--LOS-- · 01-06-2014 5:49pm

mistress_gi wrote: »

As I see it like this euthanasia in Ireland is quite high (vets oblige customers that want their animal put down) BUT, it is better than just abandoning your pet. I say this because I come from a country where vet, in general, wont put down a healthy animal and the amount of abandoned dogs, cats and other pets is huge... I think if I still lived there at this stage I would be running a sanctuary from my house

I think it's pretty sad if your only other option is to abandon your pet, instead of paying for care, or looking for someone who can, giving it to a shelter or whatever.

Can I ask what country that is? Just out of interest. Other countries definitely have a far worse issue with stray cats/dogs than Ireland. Everybody will remember all the coverage of stray dogs in Russia during the olympics

Pumpkinseeds · 01-06-2014 5:50pm

I would always do what's in the best interest of our pets, 4 cats, and would never even consider having any animal that could have a happy healthy life euthanised. I've always believed that people with a terminal illness should have the right to choose to die when they feel ready to do so. I've been a veggie for 4 years so in that sense my views on euthanasia haven't changed.

--LOS-- · 01-06-2014 5:52pm

endacl wrote: »

Acknowledging obvious difference is not necessarily discrimination. My niece is a person, and an animal. My dog is a dog, and an animal. I wouldn't euthanise either, but I'll only throw a stick for my dog...

I never said that. Discriminating against a non-human animal for purely physical difference is wrong, that is what speciesism is. Animals are discriminated in this way by the meat, dairy, egg industry and many others. And with regard to euthanasia. How is it non-discriminatory to euthanise a non-human animal easier than a human? Our lives both have the same inherent value whether you recognise that or not.

henryporter · 01-06-2014 6:32pm

We've yet to reach the maturity in society to equate the lives of different animals (as in all are equal), and we are also a very long way from coming to terms with the idea of euthanising humans - both are quite similar from the point of view that we hold human life in the utmost regard and treat every other life as a resource for food, entertainment, medical research and so on.

If an animal (pet, wild or otherwise) or a human being were living in such pain that would warrant euthanasia then they should be a) in the case of animals euthanised, and b) in the case of humans, given the choice to determine their right to die with dignity. Obviously in the case of the former the choice has to me made for the animal, but that does not mean it should be made lightly.

mistress_gi · 01-06-2014 7:50pm

--LOS-- wrote: »

I think it's pretty sad if your only other option is to abandon your pet, instead of paying for care, or looking for someone who can, giving it to a shelter or whatever.

Can I ask what country that is? Just out of interest. Other countries definitely have a far worse issue with stray cats/dogs than Ireland. Everybody will remember all the coverage of stray dogs in Russia during the olympics

Portugal, there is a widespread culture of animals are things and if they are, for example, interfering with things like holiday plans people simply leave them behind, so abandoned dogs and cats are rampant. Also, there is a fierce culture of non spaying pets, especially males so add massive breeding with loads of abandoned pets, no one really speaks of it much but my heart is broken every time I go home.

Raminahobbin · 02-06-2014 11:52am

I would be pro-euthanasia in general. Definitely for people where they would have expressed the wish for it to be an option, but also for animals. I've known a lot of people who have had pets with gradually worsening conditions that wait it out until the condition gets worse and worse and they are FORCED to call it a day, whereas I would probably choose to end my dog's suffering before she started to feel pain or before it was affecting her quality of life in any way. Send her out on a high, so to speak. I'm not advocating putting everyone asleep as soon as a problem crops up, by any means, but I do think that it's cruel and selfish to drag a condition on and on to the point that the animal is in regular discomfort.

I think being a veggie has probably made me MORE in favour of euthanasia, because we're probably a little more empathetic to the suffering of animals and a little more determined to not allow our own animals to go through any of that.

Just Like Heaven · 02-06-2014 10:40pm

I see where you're coming from like, it's become frustratingly common to just put an animal down as soon as small problems crop up (which more frustratingly often could have been avoided/put off further into old age if the pet had been taken better care of). There is no blanket answer, every decision has to be made on a case by case basis but yeah I'd say in Ireland anyway euthanasia is often an option too widely taken when the alternative is the pet living with mild and manageable debilitation/discomfort or even none after a procedure and reasonably short recovery period.

Many people will argue they can't afford a lot of medications/procedures for their pets, but I think that some of the time they're being unreasonable too. If choosing to take care of a pet you should also undertake a reasonable level of financial responsibility for it no matter how important you consider the lives of animals. Hearing about people having their dog "put out of its misery" often pisses me off when in reality there's no reason the dog couldn't have lived well for another 2/3 years, you just weren't willing to pay for its diabetes tablets or something relatively minor that can't justify it being put down.

blatantrereg · 10-06-2014 1:45am

Euthanisia is good for animals including humans if the alternative is a life of suffering. If the alternative is an operation then that would be preferable.

I've known cases where pets have their lives extended when it would seem more humane to euthanase them. I find that more sad than the reverse.

maura rua · 13-06-2014 2:03pm

It is not euthanasia to take the life of a healthy animal - it is killing. We are very good at killing in Ireland - 4,000 dogs in pounds alone last year. I fail to see how vets can kill healthy animals on one hand yet fight to save the life of another injured animal. All life is precious - and all lives deserves respect. killing for convenience is NOT euthanasia.

Amalgam · 15-06-2014 8:12am

I would be pro 'self-euthanasia', meaning that, if I choose, terminate my own life and leave behind a clear social and legal status for others to take up, without causing complications or suffering.

I think the clincher is people that have been involved with, provided support in the process of, death by cancer, been present at someone struggling for the last few weeks. That really changes you.

Given the issues with pensions and general umm.. popultion redundancy, politicians will be pushing you off a cliff in 20 years. It seems it is only through the necessity/vested concerns of others that society changes these days.. :rolleyes:

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Google Peter Smedley or Michèle Causse for video of current Euthanasia practices in Europe (Dignitas - Switzerland). The clips are probably NSFW and NSFL if you're a bit under the weather. The videos show the death of two people that have decided to end their lives through the process of self applied Euthanasia.

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You have to make a call on animals, we had cherished pets that had cancer and 'FELV' and you really have to make the right choice on their behalf, at a certain point in their illness.

Euthanasia: people and animals

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