Reflections on pet euthanasia

Most dogs with hip dysplasia end up being euthanized. That’s the most sobering fact that I learned from the holistic vet. He seemed to think that my hope that Winston would die naturally was unrealistic. “The legs go before the heart goes,” he said, explaining that most dogs with this condition are euthanized when they become incontinent or can’t walk anymore due to paralysis.

Sometimes I can’t bear thinking about euthanasia for dogs. At other times I feel compelled to seek out info on how others think about it. I keep thinking how nobody talked about killing me when I was almost bedridden, even though I myself didn’t really want to go on living and to me my prospects for improvement seemed dim. So why should Winston, who loves life so much, be killed? I know he’s an animal and I’m not, but he’s my best friend and he’s entrusted to my care.

Anyway, I found some interesting Buddhist perspectives:

Best Friends Network
An animal communicator asks the animals, who usually choose release over suffering longer in their bodies.

Buddha Chat
A vet tech wonders if euthanasia denies the creature the chance to prepare for its own death.