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A necessary evil?

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_Matt VIC • Posts: 1567

1 1 Jun 2009

Just wondering about your guys views on euthanizing animals. This ranges from animals being put down due to injury and disease (many times the result of horrid cruelty) to animals living in overcrowded pounds that are put down as a home cannot be found.

PETA condones the humane killing of domestic animals (this includes animals which aren't able to be adopted) and is against the 'no kill' movement. PETA willingly accepts animals from all shelters which employ, what can be deemed 'inhumane' ways of killing animals, which includes shooting, gassing etc.

Between the years of 2004 and 2005 PETA euthanized 4,278 animals.

Although I hate to say it, I believe euthanizing animals is a necessary evil. When shelters reach their limit it is only fair, in my opinion, that newly homeless animals are given a chance at adoption. This means that of course an animal must die to make room for a new animal. The task PETA has undertaken must be terrible for its employees to carry through - killing animals with a needle, surrounded by loving people so as to save them from an inaccurate shot gun or a slow gassing. I commend those employees, I would find it terribly hard to carry out.

Of course, we can save all animals from this fate by adopting from shelters, not purchasing them from breeders and pet shops!

But, what do you think? A necessary evil or simply an evil which should be stamped out as soon as possible?

*Source for PETA figures:
http://www.virginia.gov/vdacs_ar/cgi-bin/Vdacs_search.cgi?link_select=facility&form=fac_select&fac_num=157&year=2004

ckimana NSW • Posts: 2545

2 2 Jun 2009

In a perfect world we wouldn't need to euthanase animals. Most of the overbreeding/overcrowding and introduction of pests is due to man, and unfortunately, animals suffer as a result.

Breeders and pets shops who sell pets should be stopped. It's disgusting how many healthy pets are euthanased due to overcrowding in pounds, but it is unfortunately, a necessary evil.

I have no problem euthansing pets at work, who are sick, or severely injured etc. However, it disgusts me when owners want to euthanase a pet because they can't afford to look after it or it has behavioural problems and they are not WILLING to fix. They are then offered to surrender the pet with the pound for a chance of rehoming but usually declined as they don't want other ppl to look after it. People can be so selfish.

Karen Australia • Posts: 993

3 2 Jun 2009

This is a really complex issue. Euthanasia is a sad reality for shelters and humane societies all over the country. Hundreds of thousands of perfectly healthy cats dogs and other domestic animals are killed every year in Australia because there aren't enough homes for them. There is simply no where for these animals to go.. so what choice is there?

This will never change until people's attitude to pets changes... that animals are like fashion accessories, and that we have the right to pick out breed-perfect specimens that match our lounge suite or what is fashionable at the time... Caring for an animal is a lifelong commitment.

I applaud pet shops that do not sell 'pets'. Whilst there are thousands of unwanted animals dying every day no pet shop should be allowed to sell animals; no breeder should be allowed to breed animals. Simply put, to buy an animal from a pet shop means another in a shelter must die. sad

ABC NSW • Posts: 69

4 2 Jun 2009

ckimana said:

I have no problem euthansing pets at work, who are sick, or severely injured etc. However, it disgusts me when owners want to euthanase a pet because they can't afford to look after it or it has behavioural problems and they are not WILLING to fix. They are then offered to surrender the pet with the pound for a chance of rehoming but usually declined as they don't want other ppl to look after it. People can be so selfish.

I agree as I too work(ed) at a vet clinic. Euthanasia is always sad and a horrible thing to have to do but when an animal is dying and in obvious pain it was the better option.

Owners that are lazy shouldn't have a pet in the first place, they cost money and deserve to be looked after not discarded when they have better things to do. Pet shops shouldn't be allowed to sell pets and breeders shouldn't be over-breeding either.

_Matt VIC • Posts: 1567

5 2 Jun 2009

I don't understand what the 'no-kill' movement is trying to achieve. If they convert a council owned or NGO pound to no-kill, the homeless and lost animals are just transported a shire/city over to a pound which does euthanize.

I don't get the no-kill people. Their solution looks great in newspapers.. but really... they HAVE TO realise what they are actually doing. Don't they? o.O

Denise QLD • Posts: 17

6 2 Jun 2009

Well, If an animal has a human threatening sickness that could rısk man kınd, I thınk the anımals should be put down.
However puttıng anımals down because theır ıs sımply no space ın a anımal shelter ıs a unfaır excuse as theır are thousands of anımal shelters over the world and many optıons to follow to keep the anımal safe.
For dıseased anımals, Its reasonable that they are put down. But only ıf ıt ıs ONE anımal who has a spreadable dısease
If you look at the swıne flu ıt can be spread from any pıg who has got ıt, to any human.
Therfore ıf we were to stop the whole dısease we would have to clear the whole pıg famıly.
I am agaınst that as I know that there ıs some form of a cure for humans and ıtd be unreasonable to kıll all the pıg socıety.

RaV3N WA • Posts: 2152

7 2 Jun 2009

I am all for helping an animal rest after a long (or even short) battle with illness or injury (I have had to do this to one of my rats and dog). This is the humane thing to do. As sad as it is, we all know if there is no turning back from the bright light why not let them go peacefully?

But to put an animal to sleep because people want to buy a purebred dog, that is just plain wrong!

I think pet shops should adopt animals from the pound and sell them... maybe only making enough profit to cover the food they provided. To some people this may still seem a little wrong... but I think it would work. If we took all the cute little fluffy yap-yaps out of the windows, and people saw sad depressed dogs that needed their love - do you think they would still buy it? I know I would. One thing that "pound puppies" know how to do is the "take me home and love me" look! (This is how I got sold on one of my dogs haha)

I want to one day own several acres of land, and own as many dogs as possible.. obviously not too many but I'd say 4 or 5.... all adopted from the pound. Maybe a cat or 2 also?

I don't know why people don't support pounds more? All dogs are sterilised, they are priced well (cheaper than any pet shop or bure bred!) and they all need to be told that there are humans out there who still love them and that they aren't going to alone for the rest of their life (even if it is only a few more days sad

)

_Matt VIC • Posts: 1567

8 2 Jun 2009

Denise said:

Last time I checked there was no animal-human link concerning swine flu.

Do you think it is realistic financially to ship a dog around the world to stay in a shelter. I also think you're forgetting about the animals in those countries which need homes - they need shelters too.

In Australia, as Karen said, hundreds of thousands of animals are euthanized in Australia due to the fact that people would rather buy a puppy than adopt a dog. There are not hundreds of thousands of spaces to keep unwanted dogs so what other option is there?

It's the same all around the word. There are too many animals for the amount of shelters which operate. If sheleters turn dogs away because they are "no-kill," many owners will get tired of searching for a home and will finally kill the animal themselves. If this was to happen, those people would not have access to IVs and the correct chemicals which would result in cruel ways of dealing with an unwanted animal; shooting, drowning, starving etc. That problem would obviously be far worse than the problem we have at present.

Also, do you think we should keep dogs in cages for their whole life if they are unable to find a home?

To stop animals from being euthanized at shelters there is only one solution; adopt from a rescue shelter instead of buying.

RaV3N WA • Posts: 2152

9 2 Jun 2009

There is a donkey shelter in Gaza

april-san QLD • Posts: 368

10 3 Jun 2009

ckimana said:

That is so heartless that people would decide to get a pet, a committment, then just have it killed when they decide they don't want it anymore. And why wouldn't they put it up for adoption? They don't have to do any extra work. Just because they don't want other people to look after it??? What the hell!!! So you'd rather your pet died than let someone else look after it? What are they thinking!!???

I agree with what some of you guys have been saying, about it being a necessary evil. Better killed humanely and safely, in a caring environment, than people who have no medical/vet training trying to do it themselves and botching it.

Just wondering, are there people out there that are against animal anaethesia, but are still meat eaters? That would be interesting, that they would find a difference between humane anaethesia and the cruel factory farm practices, and are against the former but not the latter. I doubt any of you guys are like that, but have you heard of any people like that?

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