Arguments Against Animal Euthanasia
‘’Dogs do not have many advantages over people, but one of them is extremely important: euthanasia is not forbidden by law in their case; animals have the right to a merciful death.’’ conveys Milan Kundera, an author, novelist, poet, playwright and essayist, known for writing The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Animal euthanasia is the act of putting an animal to death in the least painful way as possible. The most popular way of doing this is by giving an intravenous injection of sodium pentobarbital, slowing the pet’s nervous system and brain activity, and then causing the animal to stop breathing, followed by cardiac arrest, leading to death. This process usually takes about 10 seconds, and is virtually painless for the pet. Some common reasons
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Because of the high number of unwanted companion animals and the lack of good homes, sometimes the most humane option that a shelter worker can do is give an animal a peaceful release by euthanizing the animal. Around 600 dogs, puppies, cats and kittens are killed each hour in the U.S in overcrowded shelters, because there is not enough homes for them (Maloney, 2016). Furthermore, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (2016) mentions that approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, about 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats. Each year, approximately 2.7 million animals are euthanized (1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats). For instance, in June 2005, a man from Pennsylvania who tried to surrender his dog to a no-kill shelter was told that he would have to make an appointment to return two weeks later when the facility might have room. The man grabbed his dog, got in his pickup truck, and left. At the next intersection, he threw the dog out of the truck and ran over him, crushing the dog beneath his tires. Shelter workers, who wouldn’t help the dog before he died, collected the dog’s remains. In conclusion, animal euthanasia can be very helpful for overcrowded animal
Because of the high number of unwanted companion animals and the lack of good homes, sometimes the most humane option that a shelter worker can do is give an animal a peaceful release by euthanizing the animal. Around 600 dogs, puppies, cats and kittens are killed each hour in the U.S in overcrowded shelters, because there is not enough homes for them (Maloney, 2016). Furthermore, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (2016) mentions that approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, about 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats. Each year, approximately 2.7 million animals are euthanized (1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats). For instance, in June 2005, a man from Pennsylvania who tried to surrender his dog to a no-kill shelter was told that he would have to make an appointment to return two weeks later when the facility might have room. The man grabbed his dog, got in his pickup truck, and left. At the next intersection, he threw the dog out of the truck and ran over him, crushing the dog beneath his tires. Shelter workers, who wouldn’t help the dog before he died, collected the dog’s remains. In conclusion, animal euthanasia can be very helpful for overcrowded animal