Euthanizing pets...

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
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ThreeVows
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Re: Euthanizing pets...

Post by ThreeVows »

Perhaps it is worth noting that in the Velama Sutta, it is said that the merit of even a whiff of goodwill is a higher merit than that of keeping the precepts.
“Whoever wants to find the wisdom beyond intellect without praying to his guru is like someone waiting for the sun to shine in a cave facing the north. He will never realize appearances and his mind to be one.”
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Malcolm
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Re: Euthanizing pets...

Post by Malcolm »

shaunc wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 10:31 am Putting a dog down, or any other animal for that matter is without doubt the worst part of owning an animal.
Unfortunately it is part of being a responsible animal owner.
Good luck and best wishes.
I think owning a sentient being is the worst part of owning an animal.
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Euthanizing pets...

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

Malcolm wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 9:18 pm
shaunc wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 10:31 am Putting a dog down, or any other animal for that matter is without doubt the worst part of owning an animal.
Unfortunately it is part of being a responsible animal owner.
Good luck and best wishes.
I think owning a sentient being is the worst part of owning an animal.
Nobody really “owns” anything
that doesn’t go with you when you die.
But yeah, the whole cages and leashes thing.
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
DharmaJunior
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Re: Euthanizing pets...

Post by DharmaJunior »

'Thing' is a keyword here. viewing other living beings as a commodity; surplus to requirement; replaceable etc. The owned belongs in a meritocracy as each being having it's unique utility (not to mention this sometimes involves a level of manufactured consent). The own (er) does not have any specifiable utility, but seems to do so on the basis of class or status quo, so might makes right, that sort of thinking. One could go so far as to suggest this degrades the owner, as a parasitic relation between one tamed animal with perceived utility and another without (or entitlement in other words).

Of course co-existence between species is very well documented, way before the fuzzy show pets of the modern world, so we see a lot more reciprocal bonding (not bondage) without the burden of thinking too much about it. That's not to suggest when some 'thing' loses its usefulness or functionality we pay no mind to separating in an amicable and dignified manner, nor is it reasonable to suppose sentimentality or lack there-of.

It does seem reasonable that merit as utility and debt are non virtuous in a Buddhist context. Our beloved pets are more often than not invaluable and clearly they have access to good end of life care after all the brushing, feeding, watering and exercise they're offered.
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Inge
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Re: Euthanizing pets...

Post by Inge »

Ayu wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 9:54 am On the other hand, I cannot imagine that it is possible to avoid hell by letting a pet suffer very long. The precept "not killing' will be fulfilled, but it's quite a deed without compassion. It's just following a rule without considering the circumstances. How ethical is that?
Aren’t we all suffering in samsara? Why doesn’t the buddhas and bodhisattvas put us all to sleep? Do they have no compassion since they are not euthanising us all? Are they going to hell because of that?

Is the second noble truth that the physical body is the cause of suffering? And is the path that leads to the end of suffering, to destroy the physical body?

I think that in many cases people just can’t bear the feelings they feel when witnessing the pain of others. And mistake this for compassion.
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Ayu
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Re: Euthanizing pets...

Post by Ayu »

Inge wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 6:28 pm
Ayu wrote: Mon May 15, 2023 9:54 am On the other hand, I cannot imagine that it is possible to avoid hell by letting a pet suffer very long. The precept "not killing' will be fulfilled, but it's quite a deed without compassion. It's just following a rule without considering the circumstances. How ethical is that?
Aren’t we all suffering in samsara? Why doesn’t the buddhas and bodhisattvas put us all to sleep? Do they have no compassion since they are not euthanising us all? Are they going to hell because of that?

Is the second noble truth that the physical body is the cause of suffering? And is the path that leads to the end of suffering, to destroy the physical body?

I think that in many cases people just can’t bear the feelings they feel when witnessing the pain of others. And mistake this for compassion.
Your thoughts are valid as well.
The more I think about it, I think it's not possible to judge this matter in general. It really depends on the individual case.

By uttering generalized statements about euthanizing pets we can only increase the possibility for saying something wrong.
muni
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Re: Euthanizing pets...

Post by muni »

Here was a cat who started to become huge. I took him to the vet. His heart was enormous and was pushed against his lungs. He was so huge because he had water accumulation. He got pills but they didn't help the water reducing, he had it difficult. I had to rush back to the vet to avoid an awful death for him; being drown from inside.

In this way, there was sadly, no doubt.

In case of doubt, it is certainly not easy.
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Inge
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Re: Euthanizing pets...

Post by Inge »

I think this is the worst part. I just wanted to help someone who was in a horrible situation. And now I have to decide if they live or die?!?! I did not sign up for that.
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Konchok_Drolkar
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Re: Euthanizing pets...

Post by Konchok_Drolkar »

Good day,
I have been watching this thread for a while. I have a 13 year old husky (Aiko) with failing health and will have to make the decision soon about euthanization.

I read this today from HE Garchen Rinpoche and thought I would share.. (The below is from Death & Dying Instructions -
a book by H.E. Garchen Rinpoche.)

Animal Friends
General Instructions
Garchen Rinpoche has general advice on how to help our animal friends die. We can give animals blessing pills and touch them with any form (sticker, blanket, bracelet, etc.) of the liberation by touch mantra. If possible, have the animal’s head point west. Garchen Rinpoche says dogs naturally die with their heads pointing West. We can also play the Amitabha mantra close to their ears and recite the same prayers that we recite for humans. Reciting the mantras of
Chenrezig or Amitabha and then blowing on their bodies blesses them with the mantra winds. In addition, we should pray that in the future the animal will be born in Dewachen or as a precious human being and not again take birth in the lower states of existence.
Euthanasia
Garchen Rinpoche says that, at the doctor’s recommendation, euthanizing an animal that is old or has a serious, painful terminal illness is best for the animal. Euthanasia should be conducted with the utmost compassion for the animal’s suffering, and the above general instructions also apply to help the animal transition.

I also bought a Liberation cloth for when the time should arise for Aiko. I purchased from here:

https://land-of-medicine-buddha-shop.sq ... cst=custom


Thank you for letting me share.
-For the benefit of all beings,
-Konchock

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha
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明安 Myoan
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Re: Euthanizing pets...

Post by 明安 Myoan »

I realize this is an old thread, but the topic became relevant for me recently.

First, thank you very much to the people who have posted, and to the above poster for sharing Garchen Rinpoche's words:
Konchok_Drolkar wrote: Fri May 26, 2023 9:39 pm ...
:good: I found an updated link to the liberation cloth here.
As well, Lama Zopa's Liberation Tools to Help the Dying and Deceased.

Our cat, Mazda, was a vigorous and healthy cat even at age 13.
Over a few weeks, he slowly lost his appetite, then barely ate anything, drinking lots and lots of water. His condition deteriorated quickly.

We had an ultrasound done and he was diagnosed with lymphoma. There is no good treatment for this in cats. Sometimes, people can give steroids to their cats, to reduce the symptoms and gain a few months of time. However, the steroids currently available are apparently very bitter tasting to cats, and we quickly realized he could not take these pills.
We tried and tried, and the one time he swallowed it, he couldn't keep it down.

You certainly don't have to look far online to find sources (including Buddhist ones) saying euthanasia is murder, and should never be done.
Some sources said letting animals suffer meant they were burning off karma and ultimately helping them in the long run. I couldn't confidently take this point of view. It just didn't make sense to me, nor reflect my cultural upbringing (how my parents handled this with their pets, what our doctors recommended).

At the time, I felt that we had no choice. Like others have said, you have two choices, and they're both terrible.
I couldn't let our cat spend his last days in pain, discomfort, and starvation until he couldn't hang on anymore. I didn't feel good about the state of mind he would be in at the crucial moment of death. I wanted him to have a good rebirth.

We decided to give our cat one last day with us with less pain (24-hour steroid injection) while we prepared him for the moment of death. We found a service that would perform the euthanasia in our home.

We spent the whole day lifting his spirits, constantly showing him mantras and buddhas, saying mantras and praises around him, blessing his body with mantras, blessing his water, blessing his food. I used the mantras/ideas in Lama Zopa's Wish Fulfillment for All Animals.

During our cat's last moments, I blessed his bed. We surrounded him with holy Dharma objects. We pointed his face to the West (Amitabha's Pure Land), we spun prayer wheels wishing for his fortunate birth. We put FPMT's mantras for a dying person on his body, and Mitrugpa's mantra.
I put a khata blessed at an Amitabha ceremony across his neck.
As he died, I felt my hands begin to tingle painfully and knew I had to focus on reciting Amitabha's name in his ear.
That night, we did a Pure Land funeral for him, reciting Amitabha's name 1,000 times and dedicating the merit to him.

We did everything we could think of to propel him to a higher birth.
A week later, my temple prayed for his birth in the Pure Land.

Lama Zopa says to recite Amoghapasha's mantra when we think of someone who has died, to help them be born in a blissful land. I do this whenever I remember my cat now.

I've felt a lot of things about this decision. In some ways, it was entirely in our hands to let him live for a while longer, or to do this instead.
Believe me, no one is "sparing" themselves anything by euthanisizing their pets -- the images, feelings, and memories were burned into my mind.
Even though I feel so happy for my cat to be free from the lower realms, to be in Amitabha's land, the fact remains: I am still here, I miss my friend, and even with a heart motivated by love and the long-term view, I felt I had to poison him.

Without Lama Zopa's teachings above, I think I would be quite lost. I feel I did absolutely everything I could, yet my limitations in knowledge and power to heal are clearer than ever.

I recommend the practice of performing good deeds for 49 days after the death of a loved one, dedicating the merits to them.
I've found this to be very helpful for healing, and appreciating how such a small sentient being could leave such a big positive impact in his wake.
Namu Amida Butsu
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