We are all familiar with the company PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and their whole gimmick. But behind that mask of ethical animal treatment lies the fact that they have euthanized more animals than all shelters and animal agencies in Virginia combined. 

Euthanasia, in question, is used to stop the suffering of animals. That little shot stops the heart and brain activity within basically a minute. It is a painless and peaceful procedure for animals suffering from incurable diseases or severely aggressive animals that pose harm to other animals and people around them. The only people allowed to legally acquire and administer the medication are licensed veterinarians. 

Now that the main information is out of the way, let us get to the point of this: what would be a morally right or wrong reason to euthanize a pet? 

It would mostly depend on your own morals, but one reason that is just absolutely stupid would be taking a stray off the street to the vet for the sole purpose of putting them down despite no clear indication of illness or aggressiveness (PETA does this). The stray could have very well had a chance, albeit a slim chance, at a happy life with a loving owner. 

Reasonable motives why one would put down a pet would be, as stated earlier, an incurable illness, such as cancer, or the pet being a danger to those around them. I myself once had an aggressive pet; she had gotten into a fight with another dog and had almost harmed my younger brother when he almost walked into it. We had to put her down for this reason. 

Again, it all depends on your own morals as a person and what you would consider right or wrong when it comes to this topic. At the end of the day, if you have a pet, it is your decision on how to take care of them, along with your responsibility to do so. All this article is for is to share information on what the process of euthanasia basically is and what most would consider correct and incorrect reasons to do so. Nobody is here to tell you what to do or what not to do when it comes to it, except your veterinarian (definitely trust your veterinarian). In the end, you are in charge of your own decisions and whether you follow someone’s advice or not.