Ethicists’ commentary on euthanasia for a healthy companion dog
Ethical question of the month, April 2025
You are presented with a 5-year-old Labrador retriever by owners who are requesting euthanasia because the dog has bitten their granddaughter twice without warning. The owners are not clients of your clinic and made the appointment because their regular veterinarian and a veterinarian at an emergency clinic refused to euthanize, telling them that they do not believe in “convenience euthanasia” for behavioral reasons. They seem very distraught at their decision and tell you that they feel considerable guilt. You examine the dog who appears to be in excellent physical health and is a typical friendly Labrador with no signs of aggression. You have been told by more recent graduate veterinarians that the term “convenience euthanasia” has fallen out of favor; it is too judgmental, and requests for euthanasia solely for the benefit of the owner are no longer made. These veterinarians have been advised to be more empathetic towards the owners requesting euthanasia for non-medical reasons, and by withholding judgment and asking more questions, they inevitably learn that the owner’s reasons are valid, and it is not for owner convenience at all.
Do you proceed with euthanasia?
Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe, & Dan Weary comment on this dilemma and you can read it here: Ethicists' commentary on euthanasia for a healthy companion dog