ICAWC 2013 - Euthanasia - When is The Right Time to Say Goodbye? - James Yeates
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Transcript of ICAWC 2013 - Euthanasia - When is The Right Time to Say Goodbye? - James Yeates
James Yeates
Euthanasia
2 Euthanasia
• Very important part of clinical work
• Tough decision to make
• Personal decision that you have to make
3 Lecturing on euthanasia
• Cannot tell you what to do in every
situation
• (just as for any clinical matter)
• Can give generic guidelines and advice
This talk
• 3 Distinctions
• 3 Approaches to
Decision-making
4
5 Distinction 1: Euthanasia vs Killing
• To be euthanasia it must be
– Humane
– For the animal’s benefit
6 Distinction 2: Killing Types
Only way to
avoid –ve QOL
for that animal
Ideal
Euthanasia
One way to
avoid –ve QOL
for that animal
Contextually-
justified
Euthanasia
Doesn’t avoid
avoid –ve QOL
for that animal
Not
Euthanasia
Distinction 3: Volition (of the owner)
• Voluntary euthanasia
– Where the owner gives valid informed consent to the killing
– You can refuse
• In-voluntary euthanasia
– Against the owner’s expressed wishes
– May need some defence
• Non-voluntary euthanasia
– When the owner’s wishes cannot be taken into account, since
the owner is unknown or uncontactable
– Should avoid over-defensiveness
7
8 The value of life
• 3 Approaches:
1. Life/death absolutely does matter
2. Life/death absolutely does not matter
3. Life/death matter if they matter
• An “Animal Rights” view:
– absolutely wrong to deprive of life
– Anti-experimentation, Anti-hunting, Anti-farming
• Rights often linked to duties
DUTIES RIGHTS
Approach 1. Absolutely Matters
Tom Regan
10 But … Value for the animal…
A) An animal’s right is worth respecting if
and only if good for the animal
B) Life is good for the animal if and only if
it is “a life worth living”
C) Killing is causing death
Therefore, killing is wrong if an only if it
is prevents “life worth living”
11 Approach 2. Absolutely Does Not Matter
• Classic position: death insignificant
Hence Reduction
in the 3Rs
Hence Reduction
in the 3Rs
I just said
that
Death is not a
welfare issue
Welfare state
C Welfare state
B Welfare state
A
Overall welfare Overall welfare
Quality-of-life
Welfare state
Z Welfare state
Y Welfare state
X
But … Animal Welfare and Value of life
Life worth avoiding Life worth living
13 Death deprives of welfare
• Value to animal = what it prevents
• Deprives of positive or negative QOL
• I.e. cost or benefit
14 So… Value for the animal …
• A) Causing harm is wrong
• B) To deprive of a good things is a
harm
• C) Life is a good thing if and only if it is
a “life worth living”
• D) Killing is causing death
Therefore, killing is wrong if and only if
it prevents a life worth living
Decision-making – 1. Evaluation
• Death has value to the animal
– If Life worth living:
• Life = good
• Death = bad
– If Life worth avoiding:
• Life = bad
• Death = good
15
Decision-making – 2. constraints
• Should make best decision for the animal
within constraints
– Owner + legality (+ effect on other animals)
– Resources + effect on other animals
• Using up resources on Dog A deprives other
animals
• Do should avoid using up “excessive” resources
• This limits options for Dog A
Contextually-justified euthanasia
16
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
17