Care as an Alternative to Euthanasia? Reconceptualizing Veterinary Palliative and End-of-life Care

Medical Anthropology Quarterly
Samantha Hurn, Alexander Badman-King

Abstract

Palliative care is routinely offered to humans in the United Kingdom, while euthanasia remains illegal. The converse is true for nonhuman animals (henceforth animals). Indeed, euthanasia is widely accepted as the appropriate course of action for "suffering" animals, and for those whose behaviors or suspected ill health are thought to pose a threat to others. This article details examples of nonhuman death at a multi-faith ashram whose members vehemently oppose all forms of killing on religious grounds. Through exploring their efforts in palliative care for animals, and their emphasis on natural death as a means of respecting the sanctity of life, the practical, emotional, and theoretical viability of caring for, instead of killing, other animals at the ends of their lives is considered. In the process, normative distinctions between different categories of animals, (including humans), and different approaches to end of life care (palliative care, euthanasia, natural death) are called into question. Indeed, paying mindful attention to the diverse ways in which individual animals are cared for as they die reveals the potential violence inherent in both palliative care leading to natural death, and euthanasia, blurring perceptions...Continue Reading

References

Oct 29, 2015·Medical Anthropology·Jean M Langford
Dec 15, 2015·Medical Anthropology·Ian Whitmarsh, Elizabeth F S Roberts
Apr 9, 2016·The Veterinary Record·Katherine J Goldberg

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Oct 28, 2019·Sociology of Health & Illness·Pru Hobson-West, Annemarie Jutel
May 1, 2021·Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI·Katherine LittlewoodChristine Stephens
Jul 14, 2021·Anthropology & Medicine·Bharat Jayram Venkat
Sep 16, 2021·Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy·Felicitas SelterGerald Neitzke

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Antiparasitics

Antiparasitics are medications which are indicated for the treatment of parasitic diseases. Discover the latest research on antiparasitics here.

Related Papers

Soins; la revue de référence infirmière
G Trabacchi
Journal of Palliative Medicine
Mellar P DavisRuth Lagman
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
Tom MortierWillem Lemmens
The Virtual Mentor : VM
Rabbi Edward ReichmanAnanda Wickremaratne
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved