Robin Fleming Collin Hull English 2010 TR 2:30-3:50pm September 19, 2012 Definition, Laws and Statistics Nobody brings a dog or cats into their home expecting to be faced with a decision whether to euthanize their new family member or not. People will bring animals into their home and their lives with the idea that the pet will be a part of the family for years to come. But what happens if your pet gets sick? What if it injures itself and no matter how bad you want to fix what s wrong, the vet bills are just too much to handle? What about the over population of dogs and cats in the world? Many people around the world are faced with this very difficult decision. In medical terms, the word Euthanasia means good death. It is a pain free way to relieve and animals suffering. Contrary to popular belief, the animal feels nothing and is in no pain during the process. There are approximately 5-7 million cats and dogs in shelters currently in the United States. Approximately how many of those dogs and cats are put down just 1
die to overcrowding per year? Out of approximately 7,000 dogs and cats right now, 54% of those cats will be euthanized and 46% of the dogs will be. (Pet Statistics, ASPCA). Percentage of cats vs. dogs that are Euthanised in America every year. Cats 54% Dogs 46% Figure 1 What happens when a pet is euthanized? First an IV is inserted into the vein. Then a vet will give a drug that will just relax the animal. The actual drug that performs the euthanasia is called Sodium Phentobarbital. The drug usually starts working in about 5 seconds. First the breathing stops then cardiac arrest. The pet s muscles relax and/or contract after the pet has died and the bladder and anus relaxes so both urine and feces may be voided. The pet may even take another breath or move a limb. Some think that the animal may not be gone yet but those reactions are involuntary. (Drs. Foster and Smith, para. 10). There are certain laws that a veterinarian must follow and certain guidelines that he must stay within. Some of these are: A licensed veterinarian has to perform the euthanasia The method is usually an injection however some states use the monoxide chambers 2
If and animal is deemed to be dangerous, injured or sick beyond treatment, it is ethical to still shoot the animal. (AVMA, para. 2-4) The Grieving Process Euthanasia of a pet is one of the most difficult Figure 2 Some people are taking more animals then they can afford and take care of decisions a pet owner will make. According to the Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians by McCurnin and Bassert, and writer of the Euthanasia section, Joseph Taboada, most people will have their pet euthanized due to an illness that is incurable and they don t want to see them hurting and don t want to prolong the inevitable and also to control the over populated animal shelters. The vet and their staff sometimes serves and a sounding board and will help the client with their decision. He says that The best help we can give a client is information. (Taboada pg. 1169). The veterinary team will explain everything they are doing step by step. They will also advise you and give you guidance in making this very hard decision. Not only are vets and vet techs there for the patient, they are also there to help the client deal with the grieving process. Some will arrange a ride home from the clinic and even call the client the day after to see how they re doing. That way they can also answer any more final questions the client might have including burial options. Different ways someone might memorialize a pet would be: Keep a lock of hair 3
Frame a photograph Make a porcelain image of a paw (Taboada, pg 1171) Euthanasia has been likened to the best gift one can give an animal afflicted with chronic pain-a humane way to halt suffering But it s a gift that s unfathomably painful for the pet owner. says Stephanie Davis, Senior Editor of State of the Profession. She says that a person might also feel a little guilty. There are doctors out there that actually specialize in pet loss counseling like Dr. Matt Zimmerman of Tampa Florida. He states that even though most everyone battles with the thought of the loss of a pet, they are afraid to admit it. Most of the time when a person s pet is put down, what they might here from others is to get over it. Dr. Zimmerman sympathizes by stating It s not about other people understanding they lost a pet. It s about other people understanding they lost one of the most significant relationships in their life. Dr. Zimmerman s advice for grieving pet owners is that you don t have to grieve alone; there are many grief councilors out there. He understands that each situation is different so he will see where his patient needs the most help and aim his help that way. (Davis, para. 7) 4
Locally, there is a man who is trying to push to have the shelter between Taylorsville and West Valley City certified as a no-kill shelter by 2015. Pamela Manson is a writer for the Salt Lake Tribune. In February she did a story about the Mayor of Taylorsville, Russ Wall, who thinks that doing so might save an overcrowded shelter from having to euthanize innocent animals. As Mr. Wall states, We need to find a better way to deal with animals that have been cast off by their owners and a left in our care. (Manson, para. 7). He states that last year, the shelter took in about 5,000 animals and put down about 1,550 cats and dogs. The director of the West Valley City Preservation Department, Layne Morris, feels that the term no-kill can be misleading. Every shelter euthanizes animals that are a danger to others or is severely injured. Euthanasia is Sometimes Viewed as Cruel Jill Jepson, an Assistant Professor at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul MN says that euthanasia is just The killing of animals is the most extreme and significant expression of human power over them (Jepson, pg. 1). She states that there are four commonly used words that describe putting an animal down and they are euthanize, execute, murder and slaughter. 5
Veterinarians have heard some really bad excuses are to why a person would want an animal euthanized. Clinton R. Sanders, Dept. of Sociology at the University of Connecticut and author of Killing with Kindness states, The ones I really can t stand are the clients who come in here and they want to euthanize an animal for all kinds of ridiculous reasons-they are moving to a smaller apartment, or they just got a new couch and the cat doesn t match the color, or the dog has grown up and isn t as cute anymore. It s like it s a piece of trash that they just want to throw away. (Sanders, pg 10) Our hearts still ache in sadness, and secret tears will flow. What it meant to lose you, no one will ever know. 6
Work Cited Sources: http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/pet-statistics.aspx https://www.avma.org/advocacy/stateandlocal/pages/euthanasia-laws.aspx McCurnin, Dennis and Joanna M Bassert. Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians sixth edition. Missouri, Elsevier Inc. 2006 Jepson, Jill. "A Linguistic Analysis Of Discourse On The Killing Of Nonhuman Animals." Society & Animals 16.2 (2008): 127-148. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. Sanders, Clinton R. "Killing With Kindness: Veterinary Euthanasia And The Social Construction Of Personhood." Sociological Forum 10.2 (1995): 195-214. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=19340602&itype=storyid Davis, Stephanie. "Euthanasia: A Gift For Suffering Animals, Owners." DVM: The Newsmagazine Of Veterinary Medicine 34.7 (2003): 36. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. Images: http://www.tierheim-kronach.de/nachrichten/15-huskys-auf-einem-verdrecktengrundstueck-in-hohengoersdorf-aktion-tier-warnt-vor-neuem-animal-hoardingfall/ 7