Is it really humane to put a dog or cat to sleep?

Most animal rights supporters don't support this and instead try to find shelter's with no kill policies. Unfortionatly, with the grow pet overpopulation the no kill shelters are filling up, leaving no room for new strays. Its an unfortionate thing that some shelter's put animals down simply because of lack of space.. But they have few other options. And really, an animal being put, painlessy, to sleep, is so much better than wandering the streets till death... Or suffering to survive till it's just no longer possible.

One thing that I, personally, don't understand is groups like PETA, who claim to want to save every animal.. But when it comes down to it, they put down more animals than the HSUS (which is a good organization, but they do put down animals if it is a must) or really, any other shelter/rescue.

I seldom answer a question with another question but, in this case, I think it's appropriate.

Which do you think is more humane, letting unwanted dogs and cats starve and roam the streets spreading and contracting numerous diseases, parasites, and pests that are virulent to both animals and people while continuing a vicious cycle of uncontrolled reproduction that dooms their offspring to more of the same, or taking a suffering stray that can't find a decent home and ending it's life in a painless manner relatively free of trauma?

WE are responsible for the need to put uncontrolled domestic animal populations down. It is not the fault of the animals. When society gets that through it's thick skull, maybe something will start to change.

You should also support any stray birth control programs if any are available in your area. While it does not do immediate repair, it is one of the more effective ways of controlling and reducing stray animal populations with the added benefit of not having to euthanize the animals.

Well when I was little my dog got attacked by what we think was a raccoon. Her wounds healed but she was never the same after. Now she was an old girl. Around 15 human years. I dont know if she caught some disease from the raccoon, or if it was old age. But she got very sick. She acted really lazy and it ovbiously hurt her to walk. She would get sores on her legs and belly from laying down too much. We put her to rest so she would not suffer any longer :) In that case yes it was the right thing to do.

In the case of shelters..there really is nothing we can do. This is why you are urged to spay and nueter. Always support "no-kill" shelters! They do exist!

Would you rather let them wander the streets and pop out babies that destroy the native wildlife populations until they (the cats and dogs) get hit by cars or poisoned by people who don't like them, or get rabies or other horrible diseases? And what about when the dogs attack people? Even dogs with homes get euthanized for that, and the strays aren't necessarily going to be trained otherwise. It is sad that all these animals have to be killed because there's no room for them in people's homes, but it is going to continue until people decide to be responsible for the lives they choose to take into their homes and stop breeding and abandoning them, and think before they bring them home in the first place.

Stray cats can fend for themselves pretty well hunting on their own... but stray dogs will form packs inorder to hunt & have been known to take down a calf or some other small prey animal. However, one alternative would be to trap them & take them to an animal shelter, but because most animal shelters are already overcrowded, they would probably be euthanized. Another alternative would be to spay/neuter & release... this works for cats, but dogs would still form packs to hunt.

Basically, if a cat reproduces, the cat could have numerous diseases, which have a good chance of being passed onto the kittens, a lot of the diseases could be passed onto humans, and the more kittens, the more spread... it is a danger to the health of humans and the kittens themselves, and some of the diseases could be very, VERY painful for the cats or dog. It is a lot more humane and decent to put the animal out of its misery, and putting an animal to sleep is very, VERY humane! It is just the same as putting it under an Anaesthetic...

Thanks :)

Well first of all, cats and dogs where wild animals in the begging. People should kill animals just they are living there life. If anything re-locate them to a similar place they where in before. If people kill animals that's like something non-human killing us. Think of the animals before yourself.

it isn't inhumane it is humane because it is a single shot and then they go to sleep for ever there is no suffering involved and this could be the most humane way to put an animal to rest.

well i see this with our over populated deer population. we don't have enough things to kill them to support the species. basically that means that most of them die slowly of hunger and dehyration insteed of a shot or bullet

it is a shot then they die. it doesn't hurt alot.