End-of-life care for companion animals involves some of the most emotionally and ethically complex welfare decisions owners and veterinarians face, with euthanasia as a unique tool that can prevent prolonged suffering.
End-of-life welfare for companion animals is shaped by the quality of decision-making at the most difficult moment of the human-animal relationship. The capacity to end suffering through humane euthanasia is one of the few respects in which companion animals may be better served than humans in terminal situations. But this capacity is only welfare-positive when exercised at the right time — too early denies life; too late prolongs suffering. Research consistently shows that owners tend toward delay, guided by hope and grief rather than welfare assessment. Veterinarians play a crucial role in supporting honest conversations about prognosis and quality of life, and palliative care frameworks give structure to end-of-life planning that centres animal welfare.