Related topics: death

Putting animals to sleep can give veterinarians suicidal thoughts

Helene Seljenes Dalum has carried out research on what causes veterinarians to have suicidal thoughts. In June, she completed her doctorate at IMB, which brought her a little nearer to discovering the reasons behind the statistics.

Why your veterinarian may refuse to euthanise your pet

Vets often grapple with the moral dilemma of when a client wants to kill an inconvenient pet. Clients might, for instance, hint that caring for the pet has become too much trouble, or that it interferes with their lifestyle ...

Pet euthanasia decisions involve quality-of-life considerations

How do you know when it's time? Last month's Pet Health column provided information about the growing role of pet hospice as a gentle, at-home option for beloved pets when owners want to provide close monitoring and comfort ...

ISFM takes a stand on welfare of unowned cats

Long-term confinement is not a humane option for the control of feral and stray or abandoned cat populations, according to new guidelines issued by the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) in its Journal of Feline ...

Sumatran tiger may be euthanized at Indonesia zoo (Update)

An emaciated female Sumatran tiger was in critical condition at Indonesia's largest zoo Wednesday and may have to be put down after another rare tiger died at the problem-plagued facility earlier this month.

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Euthanasia

Euthanasia (from the Greek εὐθανασία meaning "good death": εὖ, eu (well or good) + θάνατος, thanatos (death)) refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.

There are different euthanasia laws in each country. The House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics of England defines euthanasia as "a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering". In the Netherlands, euthanasia is understood as "termination of life by a doctor at the request of a patient".

Euthanasia is categorized in different ways, which include voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is legal in some countries and U.S. states. Non-voluntary euthanasia is illegal in all countries. However, in the Netherlands, physicians can avoid prosecution by following well described and strict conditions. Involuntary euthanasia is usually considered murder.

Euthanasia is the most active area of research in contemporary bioethics.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA