If you have ever had to put an elderly pet to sleep, you know that decision is usually selfishly delayed and you later wish you had acted sooner. The same goes with small animals that are born with birth defects.  Everything within our power to save these precious souls is generally done, regardless of their pain and suffering.

We owe it to these tiny creatures to provide a “good and gentle death,” which is the Greek definition of euthanasia. Discussions with veterinarians have concluded euthanasia is the ultimate display of love. It is not the ultimate display of love to permit the suffering to continue, thus allowing a pet to become secondary in importance.

If a little soul is in distress and the possibility of a healthy normal life is in question, your veterinarian is there to guide you through the decision process. The knowledge your veterinarian has and the ability to express and apply that knowledge puts that person in the position to be compassionate and to provide the “ultimate display of love.”