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Revised euthanasia guidelines will be more humane
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The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is updating its official Guidelines on Euthanasia. The new document promises to include an ethical component that will take into consideration the pain and distress an animal feels at the end of its life.
The guidelines are extrememly important in the area of animal welfare because federal and state governments base their regulations on them.
This is particularly true in the case of carbon monoxide gas chambers that are used in a handful of states. Studies show that euthanizing animals in this manner is a slow and frightening death, but because the AVMA has always included the procedure in their official guidelines, states such as Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina have kept them in operation. Hopefully the guidelines no longer include this procedure.
The last time the Euthanasia Guidelines were reviewed was in 1999. At that time only 13 individuals met to update the document. Now there will be 72 people that will be divided into 12 separate groups. They are made up of veterinarians, scientists, animal control officers, academics and other areas of expertise. They have also invited Raymond Anthony, PhD, an ethicist from the University of Alaska.
The AVMA expects to have a new set of guidelines by the end of 2010.
Dr. Steven Leary, assistant vice chancellor for Veterinary Affairs at Washington University School of Medicine said, “I think we’ll have a more thoughtful and well-considered report this time around.”
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