To euthanize a pet can be a traumatic event in the life of a family. But after watching a beloved friend struggle for weeks to eat, walk, or do any of the fun-filled activities that he once enjoyed so thoroughly, it can also be an emotional relief. But it is not a decision that is ever taken lightly.
Considering euthanasia is as important a decision as there is in life, and it brings with it much responsibility, especially for children who may have been the most attached of any family members to a faithful dog or cat (but who, by the very nature of their maturity, are often not ready to be included in the process of deciding upon euthanasia).
Good Reasons for Euthanasia
Euthanasia becomes a necessity, most veterinary experts agree, when an animal’s quality of life diminishes to the point that the basics of any existence – eating, moving, even breathing – become only a painful burden. An animal’s life can come to this point after an injury or, of course, at the end of a long battle with disease. It is sometimes the case that pet owners who believe in the natural order of life will allow a pet to just suffer in this way quietly (or sometimes not so quietly) until death finally enters on its own terms. But euthanasia aims to put a quick end to the pain of this (both from the perspective of the animal and the emotional pain of the humans who must watch the animal’s sufferings).
“Just put him out of his misery,” the saying goes. And fans of the legendary movie “Old Yeller” (in which a beloved, talented, blessed dog contracts rabies and his owner puts a quick end to the eminient suffering – not to mention the strong threat to others, both human and animal alike – with a quick, tearful shotgun blast through the dog’s heart) know that there is often much misery that accompanies the act itself.
So euthanasia is an ethical decision. It involves the question of whether more good is to come of the act than would come without it. And, while a veterinarian can assist with wise, informed counsel about, say a medical prognosis, the ultimate decision of euthanasia is left to the pet’s dear owner. And, given that the owner typically spent many years looking out for the animal’s best interest, a decision that will ultimately end in the pet’s death is a disturbing one to have to make, indeed.
But, alas, the sweet release of death (to borrow a Shakespearanesque phrase) can sometimes, oh how ironically, outweigh the pain of life itself. And, while it’s an difficult call to make, it is nevertheless an important one. And, in the case of animals, the tough call is made even harder when one considers that economics plays a role. While it would be difficult to justify euthanasia for a human based on, solely, the idea that treatment is too expensive for a family to afford, such decisions are common in the case of a beloved pet. A homeless man, for example, has just pennies to his name simply does not have the means to care for his long time companion collie who has contracted a fatal blood disease that can be cured with a readily available drug that is simply far too expensive for his means. So, the responsible decision – after perhaps appealing for help from his friends and family – is euthanasia. If veterinarians agree that death is eminent from the disease, it would be cruel to subject the faithful friend to a final few months of even more pain and misery than naturally come about in the life of a homeless man.
Memorializing a Euthanized Pet
The good news to this discussion of a disturbing topic is that an entire industry has arisen in recent years to help families who have made the difficult decision to euthanize to put that decision behind them and to focus on the great memories that any pet’s life can bring to family. This industry is the pet memorial products industry, and it offers an amazing array of products that help family’s memorialize a beloved pet for the ages. Cremation urns, caskets, and headstones are just the start. Retail websites abound that offer many other memorial products such as bronze plaques, gadgets that keep digital pictures and videos on permanent display, cremation jewelry, and even beautiful hand crafted jewelry and sculptures that feature parts of the very animal itself — paw prints, pieces of fur or even cremation ashes – incorporated into the manufacturing process.
These products are available in a wide variety of prices and an even great variety of styles, colors and materials. For more inspiration on honoring your furry friend, check out Creating Pet Memorial Ideas to discover thoughtful ways to celebrate a pet’s life.Pet owners who have suffered the loss of a beloved pet – whether euthanasia is the ultimate end or not – are often astounded at the selection they discover when exploring through their choices via the internet. And pouring over their options often has a surprisingly (ironic) calming affect. It is often the case that far flung family members or friends — sitting in separate time zones even – can spend a comforting evening together via telephone or social media as they explore their many options for memorializing their beloved pet. And a few hearty laughs or smiles at the cute, inspirational products available (such as the knitting yarn ball cremation urn that can be purchased for a cats remains or the bronze plaques that feature inspiration sayings about the pets in our lives) is enough to lift the fallen spirits of any one who has ever signed an order to ask a doctor to euthanize a beloved friend.
It is difficult, to be sure, to order the end of a life that brought so much joy to one’s own days on this earth. But, thanks to the vast variety of memorial products that can be ordered at the click of a mouse on just about any computer (and usually for a very economical price), the peace that the decision has brought to the animal can come also to the distraught pet owner, too.