Recently, as Ebola has been a problem facing the world, a dog was humanely euthanized because it had potentially contracted Ebola. The dog belonged to a Spanish nurse who had contracted the virus. Many animal rights activist and others angrily protested and petitioned against this action, though it was carried out anyways.
There are many things to think about when deciding who is "right" in this situation, if anyone is. Some people would side with the decision to euthanize the dog to eliminate any potential risk of spreading the virus to others. I'm sure lots of people would feel a small portion of sadness for the lost life of an animal, but would not dwell too much on the idea or be incredibly troubled by it. Lots of people see human life as more important than the life of an animal such as a dog so the choice would be simple.
On the other hand, some people such as animal rights activists see the life of a dog as an equal value to that of a human. These people often say things like "we are their voice", meaning since they can't physically speak out or protest, it is their job to do it for them. In certain cases like neglect or cruelty, this seems obvious; but for the case of life or death to not just this dog but any potential new victims of the Ebola virus, the answer is not quite so black and white. For those who feel called upon to speak up for our furry friends, this is basically seen as murder. To someone who values a dog's life to be the same as a human's, that would be like killing a person because they may or may not have Ebola. For humans suffering from Ebola, we do everything in our power to cure the patient of the disease, not just kill them so others can be spared.
With this said, it is in our power to lessen the chance of another human contracting Ebola, doesn't that include having to euthanize an animal to stop the risk of the disease spreading? Medical professionals must take an oath to do everything they can to save a person's life, so would this fall under that category?
It has been reported that even the owner of the dog, the nurse's husband was among those who pleaded against the dog's euthanization. Some people may not understand this and think "wouldn't he understand?" or "wouldn't he want to minimize his own risk?". The nurse's husband is already being quarantined for possible infection of Ebola as he lives with his wife that contracted and developed the virus. If I was told that my dog must be put down because of something like this, regardless of whether or not I was already at risk of contracting the virus, I would protest, petition, and do whatever I could to save or protect her. Around the world, we are all incredibly attached to our pets. An incredible and potentially unhealthy bond. So, yes, I can empathize with this man. Ultimately, though, I believe the humane euthanization of the dog was the appropriate choice. It is an unfortunate circumstance to be in no matter how much you value the life of an animal.
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