Veterinary ethics and companion animal euthanasia: what can we learn from critical disability studies?
Within veterinary ethics and practice around companion animal end-of-life and euthanasia, the political and cultural dimensions of death and dying are rarely addressed. This reduces the ability to engage with questions like: what future potential goods (positive affective states, meaning) could an a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1412327/full |
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| author | Jamie Arathoon Lauren Van Patter |
| author_facet | Jamie Arathoon Lauren Van Patter |
| author_sort | Jamie Arathoon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Within veterinary ethics and practice around companion animal end-of-life and euthanasia, the political and cultural dimensions of death and dying are rarely addressed. This reduces the ability to engage with questions like: what future potential goods (positive affective states, meaning) could an animal experience by continuing to live; what constitutes a life worth living; and how can we make this decision for another being? These are questions that have been subject to extensive dialogue within Critical Disability Studies. The aim of this paper is to provide an analysis of how core considerations from Critical Disability Studies could be useful in veterinary ethics when considering companion animal end of life and euthanasia. First, critiques of the dis/ability binary and associated hierarchies raise questions about how animal disability and illness are understood, and around challenging questions like psychological illness and behavioural euthanasia. Second, nuanced engagements with questions of a life worth living and Quality of Life emphasise the importance of individual animal experiences, personality, and the foregrounding of ‘what is important for the animal’. Third, dialogues around choice and agency critique the tendency to focus on owner choice, rather asking what opportunities there are to listen to the preferences of animals themselves. Finally, engaging with care and power highlights the ambivalent nature of caregiving, of euthanasia as a practice of care, and the power intrinsic to making End of Life decisions on behalf of another. Overall, perspectives from Critical Disability Studies allow us to engage with challenging questions of veterinary ethics and end-of-life care in companion animal practice with more nuance and complexity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-18ac818bc4f14dd98f639a32e04fcbd2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2297-1769 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-18ac818bc4f14dd98f639a32e04fcbd22025-08-20T02:11:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Veterinary Science2297-17692024-10-011110.3389/fvets.2024.14123271412327Veterinary ethics and companion animal euthanasia: what can we learn from critical disability studies?Jamie Arathoon0Lauren Van Patter1School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United KingdomDepartment of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, CanadaWithin veterinary ethics and practice around companion animal end-of-life and euthanasia, the political and cultural dimensions of death and dying are rarely addressed. This reduces the ability to engage with questions like: what future potential goods (positive affective states, meaning) could an animal experience by continuing to live; what constitutes a life worth living; and how can we make this decision for another being? These are questions that have been subject to extensive dialogue within Critical Disability Studies. The aim of this paper is to provide an analysis of how core considerations from Critical Disability Studies could be useful in veterinary ethics when considering companion animal end of life and euthanasia. First, critiques of the dis/ability binary and associated hierarchies raise questions about how animal disability and illness are understood, and around challenging questions like psychological illness and behavioural euthanasia. Second, nuanced engagements with questions of a life worth living and Quality of Life emphasise the importance of individual animal experiences, personality, and the foregrounding of ‘what is important for the animal’. Third, dialogues around choice and agency critique the tendency to focus on owner choice, rather asking what opportunities there are to listen to the preferences of animals themselves. Finally, engaging with care and power highlights the ambivalent nature of caregiving, of euthanasia as a practice of care, and the power intrinsic to making End of Life decisions on behalf of another. Overall, perspectives from Critical Disability Studies allow us to engage with challenging questions of veterinary ethics and end-of-life care in companion animal practice with more nuance and complexity.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1412327/fullanimal studiescritical disability studiesend-of-lifeeuthanasiaveterinary ethicsveterinary humanities |
| spellingShingle | Jamie Arathoon Lauren Van Patter Veterinary ethics and companion animal euthanasia: what can we learn from critical disability studies? Frontiers in Veterinary Science animal studies critical disability studies end-of-life euthanasia veterinary ethics veterinary humanities |
| title | Veterinary ethics and companion animal euthanasia: what can we learn from critical disability studies? |
| title_full | Veterinary ethics and companion animal euthanasia: what can we learn from critical disability studies? |
| title_fullStr | Veterinary ethics and companion animal euthanasia: what can we learn from critical disability studies? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Veterinary ethics and companion animal euthanasia: what can we learn from critical disability studies? |
| title_short | Veterinary ethics and companion animal euthanasia: what can we learn from critical disability studies? |
| title_sort | veterinary ethics and companion animal euthanasia what can we learn from critical disability studies |
| topic | animal studies critical disability studies end-of-life euthanasia veterinary ethics veterinary humanities |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1412327/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jamiearathoon veterinaryethicsandcompanionanimaleuthanasiawhatcanwelearnfromcriticaldisabilitystudies AT laurenvanpatter veterinaryethicsandcompanionanimaleuthanasiawhatcanwelearnfromcriticaldisabilitystudies |