A Good Death?

The lectures at Penn last week explored the concept of the human-animal bond in greater depth. While the previous week had been all about quality of life, this topic was more about the impact of the animal's quality of life on its owner. As an illustration of the depth of this bond, the professor had the students write an obituary for one of their pets.

I could have written a small novel about my most recent dogs who have died, but these students were succinct and very touching. It was clear that most of them went into the field of veterinary medicine because they truly do love animals, large or small. Over time, I have to believe that the emotional impact of caring for sick animals becomes a challenge and I hope they remember the comforting words of these teachers. It is not an easy burden that they carry, especially when you figure in the topic of euthanasia. As many times as they hear that euthanasia translates from the Greek as "good death," it is nonetheless a tremendous responsibility to be able to deliver that death.

I believe that Dean Richardson is still feeling the effects of administering Barbaro's fatal cocktail. I know he believes it was the right and humane thing to do (there is no doubt in my mind that vets operate from the principle of ending suffering), but I also believe that he truly thought he could save the horse. I'm not sure what the moral of the story is: that we should or shouldn't play God, but I do know that the psychological implications of being able to end life, human or otherwise, are complicated and ones with which every vet has to grapple.

There is no other medical profession that literally has the power of life or death at its disposal and I wonder what it says about the way in which we view animals and the professionals who care for them.