On-farm euthanasia — the humane killing of pigs that are seriously ill, injured, or cannot be transported — is a critical welfare intervention that must be carried out promptly, competently, and using appropriate methods to prevent prolonged suffering.
On-farm euthanasia failures cause some of the most prolonged and severe suffering seen in farm animal welfare. An animal that is seriously injured, unable to stand, or in severe pain suffers with every passing hour that euthanasia is delayed. The barriers to prompt euthanasia are generally not technical — they are cultural (reluctance to accept financial loss), practical (insufficient training or equipment), or managerial (unclear protocols for when to act). Effective on-farm euthanasia programs require that every person responsible for animal care has the authority, training, and equipment to act without delay when an animal cannot recover. Regular training, functioning equipment checks, and a clear decision framework are the foundations of this critical welfare intervention.