Moral dilemma

[Eric1283]

I have always loved nature and respect and love all animals. Being Wicca I respect life more than most people I know. I work at an animal shelter and I have been here for almost 4 years now and I like it because I get to make a difference in the lives of the animals I save but part of my job here is to euthanize also, it is actually a requirement for anyone who works here but I find myself more and more depressed every time I do it. On the one hand I love being able to help the animals I save but on the other hand I feel like I am a bad person for doing the euthanasia. I don't really know what to do because the others that euthanize are not really caring about it like I am so I find myself doing it more and more so I can make sure the last moments are kind and peaceful. I am at a loss and need help to decide if it is worth doing this for the lives I do save. So what would you all do in my situation should I stop doing it and let someone else that won't be as kind handle it or keep doing it so I can make it as peaceful as possible? Sorry for the long post but I just feel so bad about this to the point where I am beginning to feel like a horrible person. I just don't know what to do.

[Zili]

I'll look for a no kill shelter or an animal rescue, possibly work at a zoo? Say a prayer for each animal and ask the God and Goddess to look over their spirit?

[Xiao Rong]

Excuse my ignorance about shelters (I never grew up around pets) but do you have to euthanize even healthy animals? Or just the very sick ones?

In any case, I think it's truly admirable that you can ease their transition from life and death with peace and kindness. Even if you can't avoid the unpleasant duty, I respect that you do your best to treat all animals with dignity and compassion. (and when I say this, I don't mean to pressure you to continue doing it if you really don't want to, just saying that you are doing a good deed since someone else would have had to do it anyways, but probably with less care)

[Firebird]

I also wonder why are these animals put down.
If it because they are ill, then I am very glad to have a person like you be with the animal to the end. I couldn't bear to see my cat take her last breath, but I knew the nurse who sat with her had compassion for the animals and I had some comfort knowing she would be with her.
On the other hand if this is euthanasia due to overcrowding or protocol?, then ya,... I can see your dilemma. On one hand it really great that these animals have your there, but it sounds like this is damaging your psyche. The fire department offers a sort of decompression type meetings for their workers because they are continually exposed to tragic accidents. Is there any service like that for you??
Please don't beat your self up. I understand you wanting to be there because if not you, then who? Some one else is just going to do it right? However you may want to consider finding other work, because prolonged damaged to your psyche could cause long term problems for you.... especially if they are not addressed.
Best wishes to you,... and Blessings, Firebird

[Eric1283]

Some of it is due to sickness and injury but the majority is due to overcrowding that is the part that gets to me. I have looked into no kill shelters but due to the number of strays down here any shelters that were no kill aren't anymore simply because they had no room to continue to house them. It really does bother me but at least I show them kindness when the other guys that work there are just in it for a pay check and don't really care how the animal feels in its last moments. This is my problem because it bothers me to do it hut at the same time I know if its not me then they get no compassion at all. No we are not offered any type of course to help us deal with this either I wish we were though. I don't want to do it but I also feel that if I quit and leave it to the other guys that I'm being selfish because that is what's best for me not the animals that I love.

[Holdasown]

Most animal shelters have a length policy. After so many days without adoption they are put down. You could got to a non-kill shelter but they animals will still die. Why not change the program by instituting fostering and a no kill policy? Fostering is when a family who loves animals takes them in and holds them, feeds them and cares for them until a home is found. My aunt is a foster for our shelter and she has three dogs plus hers at any one time. This keeps the dogs from being put down. This could be an opportunity for you to make a real change. I am sure some no kill shelters would help you get started.

[Eric1283]

We do have a foster program here but it isn't enough to stop us from having to euthanize. The number of pets dropped off here is unreal. We have days where we get 70 to 80 or more animals dropped off in one day. No amount of foster or adoption can keep up with that and the people that run the shelter won't turn anyone away even if we are full (and we always are) because they say if we turn them away they will just dump them on the street.

[Firebird]

Hi again Eric, Holdasown is on to something there. You could possibly implement several foster groups, don't give up. Your compassion is honorable.
Ummmm, I also want to ask you where are you from. If your shelter is city run, then I believe the psychiatric services for the firefighters and police, are available to all city workers. Please ask your supervisor if there is a list of services for city workers. If nothing like this is in place, you may be able to get the ball rolling for this kind of counseling, I imagine you are not alone in this dilemma. Perhaps you could start your own decompression group. The most important thing is to talk about it, and express your feelings.
Then work on change, think about the day when this won't be happening anymore. We still need compassionate workers for our pets, when they are too ill to go on....but euthanasia to control overcrowding is something I hope will be in the past very soon.
Blessings, Firebird

[Eric1283]

I am in south Texas the Rio Grande valley and we are privately run but we take the animals that the city workers pick up. I too hope this will one day be a thing of the past but there just aren't enough caring people down here.

[Zili]

You're not too far from my area it seems, I'm in south east texas. our town has the over crowding problem too sadly we are the only shelter for several towns. Every once in a while a special animal will catch a worker's attention and they get to live on "borrowed time" and are given an extra few days to live. My dog who we've had for the last 14 years (she's 15) was a stray picked up 3 towns over so weak that she almost got swept away in the river. She was brought to the shelter and given two weeks like very other animal (yeah for others reading in most towns with small shelter its about a week or two weeks for each animal to get adopted if not they are euthanized.) I was afraid of all dogs but I saw her cowering in her kennel at an adoption day held at one of the local stores we took her home that day (as we moved into our new home.) At the time I was already in the process of earning some awards for my girl scouting and one of them was the leadership award. I knew how bad the shelter needed help especially supplies at the time so I set up a supply drive and got lots of food for the animals brought in. I was going to earn my gold award but ended up not having the time nor the support to do it but the shelter was going to be the place I was going to help by getting it expanded. They were able to expand out a bit but not much because as they expanded the rate of strays and abused animals went up.

Perhaps looking for a job that allows work with animals but keeps you from having to put them down is more ideal such as working at a vet clinic (putting down loved animals with families is difficult too but it would be to keep them from having so much pain.) Until something else can come along try planning more adoption days and events to try and get more animals adopted out?

[Holdasown]

Man that is awful the amount of animals you get. Could you start another shelter? Do you contact specific breed rescues. I can see why you would want to leave but someone so dedicated it's sad to think you have to go.

[SnowCat]

Bless you for makiing their final moments easier.

Frosty