The decision to euthanise a companion animal is one of the most difficult welfare decisions owners face, requiring honest quality of life assessment and veterinary support.
The ability to end suffering through humane euthanasia is one of the most powerful welfare tools available in companion animal care. The welfare obligation is to choose euthanasia before suffering becomes irremediable rather than after, yet owner grief and attachment often delay the decision. Honest quality of life assessment using structured tools, combined with veterinary guidance, enables owners to make the decision at the right time rather than too late. A good death — peaceful, pain-free, with the owner present — is one of the most compassionate gifts we can give our companion animals.