Their last night on earth: Dogs in their final hours find compassion

Every night one of nine people show up at the Animal Care and Control center in New York to spend the night, and create a lasting memory for a dog who will be euthanized the following morning.

Animal euthanasia (from the Greek meaning “good death”) is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, esp. a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress. Euthanasia is distinct from animal slaughter and pest control, which are performed for purposes other than an act of mercy, although in some cases the killing procedure is the same.

In domesticated animals, this process is commonly referred to by euphemisms such as “lay down”, “put down”, “put to sleep”, “destroyed”, or “put out of its/his/her misery”.

I am reproducing this article in its entirety as it speaks to the kindness and compassion shown to our abandoned critters [the night before euthanization] by local volunteers at a New York animal shelter. This is an important story and I am hoping that other communities adopt this model program of compassion, so please share this among your friends and local animal shelters.