Our position on euthanasia

One of the hardest things that shelter staff have to do is to decide over someone's life and death. Nevertheless, we understand that this is sometimes the best that we can offer an animal, and it is a sad but inevitable part of our work.

It is very easy to point the finger at people who are forced to do the "dirty work" caused by irresponsible animal owners who have thoughtlessly acquired a pet or allowed it to breed.

We cannot say that we are in favour of euthanasia, but we acknowledge that under certain conditions there is an unavoidable need for it. In our country there are more pets than there are suitable homes for them. We take the view that a dignified, painless death is better than suffering from malnutrition, trauma or serious illness. Nor is long-term life in a solitary cage, without the species-appropriate opportunities to move and interact, an acceptable alternative. A large proportion of the cats (and, on rare occasions, the odd dog) that have to be put to sleep at the shelter can hardly be called domestic animals or pets, because they are unsocialised, have never been in indoor conditions and have never been in contact with a human.

For as long as kittens and puppies are born into this world that no one needs, and people do not sterilise or neuter their animals, shelters must contend with the consequences. Euthanasia is not a solution to animal overpopulation but a tragic inevitability.

Euthanasia must be taken for what it is: it is a last resort to prevent further suffering of animals. In our work we are guided by the five freedoms of animals, by knowledge and by ethics, not by emotions. All euthanasia procedures are carried out by the shelter's veterinarians, using the most humane means available.