Dog dilemma

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fisherman_carl

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Is it morally ethical for a Catholic to put down a dying and suffering dog? I know it is not for humans but what about pets?
 
Michelle Arnold, a staff apologist for Catholic Answers has replied to a similar question:
It is a gravely immoral action to euthanize a human being because a human being is a person with a rational, immortal soul, made in the image and likeness of God. Human beings have not been given the authority to deliberately end another person’s life simply because that person no longer seems to be leading a useful existence.
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In the case of animals, however, man has been given the authority of stewardship over creation (cf. Gen. 1:28); and so, yes, a person can choose to euthanize an animal.
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Recommended reading:
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How Much is Too Much? by Jimmy Akin
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forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=23070

The article by Jimmy Akin explains discusses this in more detail, including some questions for the pet owner to ask themselves.
 
Precisely because animals are NOT persons, I’d argue that it is MORE moral to euthanize a dying dog than to spend tens of thousands of dollars on extending it’s life by a year or two as many Americans seem to be doing these days.

Granted, we all have disposable income and establishing a one size fits all policy on what shouldn’t be done with it is a fool’s errand. Maybe it’s because I’m not a pet guy, but it boggles me what people will spend on vet bills.
 
Yes, it’s okay, and also recommended as the charitable thing to do in the case of animals. There is no good which comes from an animal suffering.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2418 It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly.
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I had to put my dog down a few months ago. It sucked, and I didn’t want to do it. I wanted to put it off, and not think about it until I was examining my conscience for confession and saw, “Have I caused any animal to suffer needlessly?” and started feeling guilty. I took it to the confessional, and my confessor explained “how it works with ‘pets’ and people” and, long story short, I left the confessional, did my penance, and then broke down in tears pleading to St. Francis of Assisi to intercede on my dog’s behalf so she wouldn’t suffer anymore and on my behalf that I be able to put myself aside and do the charitable thing. The day she went to the vet she was exceptionally happy. She liked going for car rides, and she liked going to the vet. I would have never known she was as sick as she was.

I couldn’t stand the thought of her being cremated in a mass cremation and used as bone meal fertilizer, so I had her privately cremated, and keep her cremains in my room. Bear in mind, I had my dog through almost half my life, which happened to be the worst part of my life thus far, so I was exceptionally attached to her. My mom couldn’t understand why I was so upset, as to her she was “just a dog”.
 
Wow, I’d never have wasted anybody’s time with my post if DG’s post above had been there before I responded. Sorry for your pain, man. Great response, both here and to your dog.
 
I’ve lost 4 in the past 8 months. It’s the last loving thing we can do for them. Pet them and love them as you let them go. It’s very difficult to do, but it’s the right thing to do.

I’ll pray for you.
 
We had to put down our 18 yr. old Golden because she developed colic/bloat on Christmas night. She grew up with our kids. Where they went, she went. Took 10 years to decide to get another. Now this one, bishon, is 14 and blind but does very well. We will not let her suffer but I do pray that she just goes to sleep on her own because when you take them on that last trip to the vet, they know.

Will we get another? Yes. This time from the shelter. I think it is our duty. We give a lot of care but get back lots of slurps and love in return.

True some people cannot afford the vet bills and they are expensive. As an acquaintence, who owns two dogs and got her vet bill, said to the vet, “This is the reason why people give up their pets because they can’t afford these bills.”
 
I can relate to this topic even though I’m a cat person. I’ve had three, one after the other.

I adopted these cats from rescue shelters, by the way, because they needed homes, and pet ownership, for me, is not just about my self-fulfilment/happiness, etc but the desire to give a needy animal the best life I can provide.

So - any animal’s quality of life is of major importance, I believe.

I think there’s a list of questions out there on the internet to help one discern when that quality of life has got to a point when euthanasia is for the best.
I don’t have a problem with treating a pet for almost anything as long as one can afford the vet bills and the treatment isn’t worse for the animal than the complaint itself. For example, I treated one of my cats with insulin when she became diabetic, because it was do-able, affordable, and enhanced her quality of life dramatically, even though it was quite a committment on a twice-daily, regular basis.
However, when she got an aggressive cancer, I chose neither surgery not chemotherapy because I felt the “cure” was worse, for that particular cat. I did not wait long at all before having her put to sleep because I couldn’t bear to have her suffer. It was me who had to take on board the suffering - the hardest thing I ever did.
I strongly believe one has to put a pet’s interests before one’s own - I mean, not postponing the terrible deed because one can’t bear to part with the pet. It can even amount to a sort of private Agony in the Garden to do this, and that identification can help.
Deciding when, though, is often not at all easy to discern!
 
manualman said:
Precisely because animals are NOT persons, I’d argue that it is MORE moral to euthanize a dying dog than to spend tens of thousands of dollars on extending it’s life by a year or two as many Americans seem to be doing these days.

Granted, we all have disposable income and establishing a one size fits all policy on what shouldn’t be done with it is a fool’s errand. Maybe it’s because I’m not a pet guy, but it boggles me what people will spend on vet bills.
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Same here, me and my neighbour both got a hamster each (they were brothers) and they took theres to the vet when they found a lump on it and ended up spending £50 on a £15 hamster only to be told it was dying, whilst as we when found the lump we let it die comfortably.
 
I spent much time on my grandparent’s farm. I learned early that it is our duty to keep animals from suffering.

Our thirteen year old dog developed a growth in her nose a couple of months ago. While is irritated her a bit, she did not seem to be suffering, and seemed to be enjoying some parts of life yet. So we decided to let it go.

Last Friday she quit eating; so I decided it was time and took her to the vet. He gave her a tranquillizer which zonked her out and then injected an overdose of anesthesia. I don’t think she felt a thing. The vet said I could leave, but I felt it my duty to stay and scratch her ears until she was gone.

I am a bit sad, but she had a good life and a peaceful end.
 
Thanks for all your replies. The dog has been put down as it was 17 years old and in a lot of pain.
 
I hope you meet again someday… The lion cannot lie down with the lamb if both of them cease to exist.
 
I had an 18 year old Pug, and I saw no need to kill her just becuase she was getting old.
She was not suffering at all, and did not stop eating. She just peacfullly went to sleep cuddled in my lap, her usual place. I took her and buried her under a tree on my property.

I am a dog lover, and just can’t see treating our pets as “utilities”, they are our friends who love us as we love them back.

Her tombstone has the Rainbow Bridge poem on it. She died over 2 years ago and it still saddens me.

I have another female pug who sleeps with me, and she has a growth on her right hip, and a wry jaw, she does not suffer and I will not have her killed.
 
andrewstx said:
I had an 18 year old Pug, and I saw no need to kill her just becuase she was getting old.
She was not suffering at all, and did not stop eating. She just peacfullly went to sleep cuddled in my lap, her usual place. I took her and buried her under a tree on my property.

I am a dog lover, and just can’t see treating our pets as “utilities”, they are our friends who love us as we love them back.

Her tombstone has the Rainbow Bridge poem on it. She died over 2 years ago and it still saddens me.

I have another female pug who sleeps with me, and she has a growth on her right hip, and a wry jaw, she does not suffer and I will not have her killed.
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But these dogs were suffering.
 
We cannot say that. We can’t just ask an animal, “Have you lost the will to live?” That is euthanasia. The same as assuming your grandmother “Wouldn’t want to go on like that”. We cannot know since they cannot speak.

My last dog died at home. I’m glad she did, where she felt safe and comfortable and didn’t have the life forced out of her, she just let go. That is a peaceful death.

Right now I have a dog at home that is only 11 years old, but 100 lbs and not in good health. Sometimes she slips and falls and we have to pick her back up again. She spends most of her days on her doggie bed and only getting up to get water. And yet, when my brother’s friend came to visit today, she wagged her tail and him and barked hello. The last time she fell and I helped her up, she leaned her head against me, like she’s always done, like she’s giving me a hug. She loves having her ears rubbed. Who am I to tell her her time is up? That is up to God. He will call her on His own terms. I have no business forcing her through heaven’s door.
 
andrewstx said:
I had an 18 year old Pug, and I saw no need to kill her just becuase she was getting old.
She was not suffering at all, and did not stop eating. She just peacfullly went to sleep cuddled in my lap, her usual place. I took her and buried her under a tree on my property.

I am a dog lover, and just can’t see treating our pets as “utilities”, they are our friends who love us as we love them back.

Her tombstone has the Rainbow Bridge poem on it. She died over 2 years ago and it still saddens me.

I have another female pug who sleeps with me, and she has a growth on her right hip, and a wry jaw, she does not suffer and I will not have her killed.
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In the case of your two pugs, I won’t put them to sleep either.

Here’s my list from the past 10 years. Most of them were rescues so I don’t know about their past medical histories.

#1: age unknown - acute renal and liver failure - nothing could be done and she was having trouble breathing so I had her put to sleep

#2: 17 yr old - CHF (lasix twice a day) - didn’t have her put to sleep until she had a massive stroke

#3: 10 yr old with a brain tumor - in pain - put to sleep

#4: 11 yr old - found dead - never sick a day in her life

#5: 14 yr old - organs shutting down and couldn’t stop it - put to sleep

#6: 14 yr old - bleeding out from her uterus - by the time I got her she was too old to go under general anesthesia to have her spayed. Yes, I let her go as well.

I don’t believe that I “killed” any of them. The ones I had put to sleep would maybe would have lived for another 24 - 48 hours. I saw no reason to allow them to suffer. I’ve had all of them cremated and their urns are in a special place in my sun room.
 
Monster_Simpson said:
But these dogs were suffering.
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I really do not think so, the 18yo Mabel showed no signs of suffereing.

Eulalie just has a wart, no suffeering. I personally had a wart and did not suffer at all, the only reason I had it removed was because it was unsightly.
 
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