Veterinarians from Bucharest SAY NO! They will not perform the euthanasia on healthy animal!

Veterinarians from Bucharest SAY NO! They will not perform the euthanasia on healthy animal!

Below, Mira's translation of an article published in the Romanian media DeCe News:

A special letter, to be sent to ANSVSA (National Sanitary Veterinary Authority) and to the CMVR has been made available online for all Romanian veterinarians who decide NOT to euthanize healthy animals.

The veterinarians which sent already the letter, regardless of the town where they live and practice, have explained that the euthanasia is the LAST resort when the dog has an incurable disease, which makes him suffer tremendously, or when the dogs is very very old. Euthanasia is performed ONLY by the veterinarian with the approval of the owner. Thus, if all veterinarians will support this boycott, who will euthanize the dogs?

QUOTE from the letter:

"As a veterinarian I inform you that I will note take part in the implementation of OUG 155/2001 which stipulates the "euthanasia" of dogs deemed clinically healthy, in order to diminish the number of stray dogs on the streets, because The Veterinarians' Code of Ethics, art. 50 says: The veterinarian should abstain to perform the euthanasia with the exemption of cases where this procedure will end the pain of an INCURABLE patient." 

Also, The CMVR Decision nr. 24/03.12,20122 stipulates that "the euthanasia of dogs, with the exemption of incurable diseases represent a violation of our profession thus been banned" 

"I would like to mention that euthanasia is a strictly medical procedure which is performed only on animals in a terminal state of a disease, with the only aim to end the pain, and our code of ethics does not allow me to use this procedure on a healthy animal (physically and mentally). The provisions of this law are abusive and have been taken without a consultation with specialists in this matter and do not represent my opinion regarding the management of stray dogs.

The term "euthanasia" has been deliberately chosen in order to avoid any other terminology (assisted killing, killing without pain) for moral and ethical reasons and also for the image which the other terms might generate. This confusion can raise an important prejudice to our profession as veterinarians and intentionally lowers the level of acceptance of the deliberate end of a life.

Thus I would also like a strict delimitation between the veterinarians who perform this procedure based on a medical report and those who will perform it on healthy animals"

For entire article in Romanian, please see: http://www.dcnews.ro/2013/09/cine-va-eutanasia-cainii-veterinarii-spun-nu/