A Humane End
Our policy on humane euthanasia is to not have a policy.
Each case is decided on a case by case basis with our equine or small animal veterinarian because each animal is different and every situation is different.
Consideration is given to:
Diagnosis
Prognosis
The particular animal's temperament/pain tolerance with regards to the treatment that will have to be administered/endured.
Length of time that the treatment and recovery time will take and if we feel that the animal has the ability and strength to physically and emotionally endure it.
Financial resources available for treatment and recovery
Physical resources available for treatment and recovery
Age of the animal in question
Humane euthanasia is just that, a humane and dignified end to an animals's life. We have assisted in helping many animals move past their pain and torment and have witnessed only a peaceful & dignified end surrounded by people who care about the animal. I have heard accounts of animals passing in a less than peaceful way and have spoken with our veterinarians many times regarding this issue, as well as using my own experience working in a veterinary hospitals for many years assisting with euthanasias and we all agree that there may be times where the vet performing the procedure is not using enough solution per weight of the animal being put down, which can certainly lead to the animal not passing quickly and quietly. Please do not hesitate to talk to your veterinarian performing the procedure - if in question, they need to go over with and not under with the solution. Another problem can be circulatory issues in the animal and yet another could involve being sedated before administering the euthanasia solution, which slows everything down. We have only used sedation prior to euthanasia in two circumstances - once with our 23 Y/O rescued Thoroughbred mare who was extremely flighty and had well known aggression issues and again with a filly who had a severe injury - the sedatives were given to relax her while the wound was extensively examined.
There is human risk involved, however, it is possible to position those assisting as to help the horse lay down gently instead of just injecting and watching - myself, our vet and one of our volunteers have done it each time and have yet to have a horse go down hard. If you don't have the physical strength, experience and agility to move quickly, it would be better not to try this and we definitely don't reccomend it, so I will not go into detail here.
We DO NOT believe in keeping animals alive at all costs while they live in a state of constant, unrelenting physical or psycholgical pain. Horses in particular are prey animals and try very hard NOT to show they're ill or in pain, so in our opinion, when a horse is clearly hurting and/or diminishing in condition daily, the horse is not being kept alive for the sake of the horse, but for the human's having a hard time making a tough choice. We know all of the animals in our care very well and feel that we, along with our veterinarian's, know when to continue and when to stop for the benefit of the animal in question.
Celtic Rein Rescue will assist Harford County animal owners with humane euthanasia - if we feel that we can place your animal in a responsible new home, we will attempt to do that, however, we can not promise that a responsible home will be available. We would rather see an animal humanely euthanized surrounded by love and dignity than see an animal dumped at an auction, left at a shelter or given away with no regards as to what the future will hold for them. Animals given away for free and without contracts can end up starved, abused, slaughtered or dumped again and again - they can also produce many more unwanted animals in a short period of time, adding to this never ending problem. Our local shelters are already full and animals are being euthanized every day. While most shelters will do what they can to place your animal, the cold hard fact is that there are just not enough homes available. There is nothing more humbling than spending a day evaluating dogs and cats at a shelter to see what life you can spare and who you will have to walk away from, basically sealing their fate. There is nothing more humbling than attending a low end horse auction and watching horse after horse be bought by kill buyers and then loaded onto cramped trailers struggling, screaming, fighting and panicking. I personally feel that every potential animal owner should have to experience it.