If we as a country believe that people have personal autonomy over their own bodies, we should also recognize that it is everyone's independent choice as to when their life should end.
PETA's statistics are also often used, as they are being used now, in a truly perverted way by some "no-kill" evangelists to try to turn people away from the "evil" of what is actually a dignified, merciful release from suffering.
We're not supposed to have favorites but of course we do, and it was my favorite sweet little guy Tsimmes who died this past weekend. It's the one thing our cats and dogs don't do well: They do not live long enough.
One of the year's more depressing rituals is the annual release of PETA's kill statistics. The numbers -- just how many pets Ingrid Newkirk's organization has "euthanized" in the past year -- are never anything less than revolting. They are also never a surprise.
This afternoon, my dog will leave this world in my arms without pain, with my lipstick kiss on her mature Maltese mane. Tonight, when it is late and dark and time to sleep, I will feel her presence beside me.
The states have the power to allow and regulate assisted suicide or to prohibit it, and with enough pressure from critical thinkers we will someday have the freedom to end our lives with dignity. If enough critical thinkers band together, someday we'll be able to live and die on our own terms.
It is clear that, come the time, I will do the right thing by my Scout. My baby. I will not let her suffer. We are told that we love our animals so much, we know when that moment is upon us. And we do the right thing. But how?
In recent times, two breeds of dog have not only become incredibly popular but also appear to be bucking the past trends of falling out of popularity almost as quickly: Pit Bulls and Chihuahuas.
Right away, my dog's life flashed before my eyes. I pictured him as an 8-week-old puppy with huge floppy ears and then as a rambunctious hulking 5-year-old. That's when I knew, hard as it was, that we made the right decision.
Our goal is an ambitious one -- to end the killing of healthy or treatable dogs and cats in animal shelters. We don't pretend this is easy, but we are always mindful that animals like Oliver need our help.
Since its 1993 inception, Lifeline Puppy Rescue has saved 25,000 puppies in the west and midwestern United States from euthanasia, putting them into p...
People of conscience weigh key moral issues. They study and struggle with the questions at hand. They engage in a lifetime effort to develop the fine-tuned moral sensitivity needed to understand deeply Church teaching on critical issues.
Karen sent me the following via email, after visiting one of Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA's animal shelters where she witnessed:
...a woman broug...
This week I am going to be adding my signature to a letter being sent to Dr. Phil McGraw from a coalition of disabilities organizations and individual...
The medical establishment's support for patient choice exists within a particular, and peculiar, bioethical framework.A problem arises for palliative care physicians when people question their intention.
Everyday, animals throughout the city are routinely euthanized due to overpopulated shelters and lack of adopters. But one special program, the Mayor'...
Do you think that there is such a thing as "suffering from life"? Do you think that people should be able to make their own decision as to whether or not to end their life?
The idea behind Hogewey is to put the patients in more familiar surroundings where they might "experience the smells and sounds of a normal household," where they don't have to sit alone.
Each and every suicide in the world diminishes you and me. No matter if you don't know the person, their family, or even if they live on the other side of the world from you
Gov. Jerry Brown has championed himself as the lone politician willing to make unpopular state budget cuts. But he may be biting off more than he can ...