1、The welfare basis for euThanasia of dogs and caTs and policy developmenTInternational Companion Animal Management Coalition3Introduction 5The international companion animal management coalition 5who is this guidance for?5what is euthanasia?5why consider euthanasia?6euthanasia as a welfare tool 6five
2、 welfare needs 6Why is it important to have a euthanasia policy?7why a euthanasia policy is beneficial 7How to develop a euthanasia policy 8creating a multi-stakeholder committee 8developing your policy 9 initial review understanding your situation and the need for euthanasia developing an overarchi
3、ng euthanasia policy developing a detailed assessment tool for the euthanasia of individual animals How to implement and communicate your policy 21staff selection and training 21 Training euthanasia operators communicating your policy 22monitoring and review 22Annex 23The international fund for anim
4、al welfares euthanasia decision algorithm and notes for use 23Contents45The international companion animal management coalitionThe international companion animal management(icam)coalition is made up of representatives from the world society for the protection of animals(wspa),the humane society inte
5、rnational(hsi),the international fund for animal welfare(ifaw),the international arm of the royal society for the prevention of cruelty to animals(rspca international),the world small animals veterinary association(wsava)and the alliance for rabies control(arc).This group was set up to fulfil severa
6、l objectives,including the sharing of information and ideas on companion animal population management,with a view to coordinating and improving member organisations recommendations and guidance.Each organisation has agreed that it is important to strive to improve our mutual understanding through co
7、llaboration.We have a responsibility as funding and advisory bodies to ensure we are offering the most accurate guidance,based on the latest available data and concepts,to those involved with dog and cat population management in the field.We also believe it is important that we endeavour to be trans
8、parent and to document our opinions and philosophy whenever possible.It is to this end that this document has been produced it represents our recommendations at the time of writing,based on the knowledge we have accrued to date,and will be subject to updates when appropriate.if you have any comments
9、 or suggestions about this guidance please contact the icam coalition at infoicam-coalition.org.who is this guidance for?This guidance has been developed for use by any public,private or charitable organisation,agency or individual with responsibility for a programme of work involving dogs or cats,i
10、ncluding:animal shelters re-homing centres veterinary clinics animal health programmes.All of these services are responsible for the welfare of the animals in their care and as such may have to make difficult decisions about the future of individual animals.This guidance has been produced in consult
11、ation with a number of experts in veterinary science,animal welfare management and animal management practitioners from countries around the world1.As such it is hoped that it will be relevant and applicable in any country.For the rest of this document we will use the term organisation to encompass
12、all of the people who may use this guidance.what is euthanasia?The term euthanasia comes from the Greek eu meaning good and thanatos meaning death.Thus we should strive to provide as humane a death as possible for an individual animal where euthanasia is considered the best option,based on a range o
13、f criteria.These criteria should be primarily related to the current and future welfare state of the animal.There are four primary criteria that ensure death caused by methods of euthanasia is humane2.The method must:1.minimise pain and discomfort2.achieve rapid3 unconsciousness followed by death3.m
14、inimise animal fear and distress4.be reliable and irreversible.introduction1.Input was received from government bodies,non-government organisations and individual experts in the following countries:Brazil,Costa Rica,Croatia,Cyprus,India,Italy,Nepal,the Philippines,Serbia,Thailand,United Kingdom,USA,
15、and Zambia.2.Beaver,BV,et al,2001.Report of the AVMA panel on euthanasia.J.Am.Vet.Med.Assoc.218:6883.Rapid can be defined as usually no more than five to seven seconds to loss of consciousness.6why consider euthanasia?The decision to euthanase is just one possible outcome of an animal welfare assess
16、ment.An organisation does not set out to decide whether or not to euthanase,but rather to identify if any welfare problems exist and what can be done to help.If an animal that you are responsible for(i.e.an animal that is in your care,that is directly affected by your work programme,or is within the
17、 potential scope of your work programme)is suffering physical,behavioural and/or psychological problems or will unavoidably suffer such problems if no action is taken,then you are responsible for deciding on the best course of action to help that animal.Death is inevitable for all animals.However,su
18、ffering in the period leading up to death is not always inevitable and can be avoided by human intervention.From an animal welfare perspective,when the suffering of an animal cannot be effectively reduced or prevented,humanely ending the life of the suffering animal may be considered the best course
19、 of action for the animal.This decision is not an easy one and if euthanasia is to be used effectively there needs to be a clear evidence-based policy and process to ensure it is selected appropriately and carried out humanely.euthanasia as a welfare toolDeciding if and when to euthanase can be extr
20、emely difficult.In some situations the decision is clear,for example when the law states that a rabid animal must be euthanased in order to prevent spread of disease.However,in most situations the decision wont be so clear.Every organisation functions within a different set of circumstances and ther
21、efore it is up to each to consider carefully under which conditions euthanasia is appropriate or not.Your decision regarding when and why to euthanase will depend on a wide range of factors,in particular whether your organisation has sufficient financial resources,staff resources,facilities and vete
22、rinary expertise to maintain a reasonable quality of life for a particular animal.Quality of life is a subjective term;it can therefore be helpful to think about animal needs in terms of the five welfare needs4.five welfare needs Need for a suitable environment.Need for a suitable diet.Need to be ab
23、le to exhibit normal behaviour patterns.Need to be housed with,or apart from,other animals.Need to be protected from pain,suffering,injury and disease.It should be noted that simply providing an animal with access to the five welfare needs may not ensure that it will enjoy good welfare.This is solel
24、y a framework by which to consider welfare needs.However,if these minimum needs cannot be met,you should consider how standards can be improved to meet these needs.If this is not possible then it may become necessary to consider euthanasia as a welfare option.The five welfare needs may be compromise
25、d sufficiently to justify euthanasia under a range of circumstances.For example:in the community:animals may suffer if they are not looked after responsibly,for example if they become injured when roaming the streets or if they become malnourished through lack of an appropriate diet.In some communit
26、ies there may be a lack of affordable,accessible veterinary services,which means that illnesses and injuries are left untreated and can result in serious suffering.in shelters:animals kept long term in shelters may suffer from disease and sometimes neglect and may become increasingly difficult to re
27、-home because their behaviour deteriorates over time as a result of being kept in unsuitable conditions5.Whatever your position on euthanasia,it is important to have thought through your decision in an informed and consultative manner.It is also vital to be able to justify and explain your decision
28、in terms that are consistent with your policies and mandates as an organisation with responsibility for a programme of work involving dogs or cats.If euthanasia is not considered the best option for a particular animal,you will need to take alternative action to protect the welfare of that animal.4.
29、The five welfare needs are listed in the Animal Welfare Act(2006)for England and Wales.They have been developed specifically for companion animals from the widely recognised five freedoms.For further information about the five freedoms see www.fawc.org.uk 5.Arluke,A.(2003)The state of the animals II
30、,p777The icam coalition believes that it is essential that organisations working with animals have fully considered and agreed a policy for the euthanasia of animals in their care so that an informed and supported decision can be made when the time arises.we understand that animal care,rescue and po
31、pulation management programmes operate in a wide range of contexts and it is not possible to provide a set of euthanasia criteria to fit every situation.Therefore this guidance does not tell you exactly what your euthanasia policy should contain,but it will help you to develop a euthanasia policy th
32、at is founded on principles of animal welfare and that is suitable for your situation.why a euthanasia policy is beneficial.All stakeholders involved in the development of the policy agree and understand the reasons for euthanasia and are therefore able to consistently provide the best service for a
33、nimals in their care.It ensures the euthanasia decision is applied in the right situation,at the right time and using the correct methods,therefore enabling the best welfare possible.It decreases the need for subjective decision making and therefore reduces stress for those involved in the decision-
34、making process and the potential for conflict between staff.It can be made available in writing so that management,staff and members of the public can refer to it at all times.It provides a standard to which staff can be trained.It provides a standard that can be regularly reviewed and updated the p
35、olicy should be a living document that staff are encouraged to develop initially and continue to be involved in by monitoring its implementation and development if necessary.why is it important to have a euthanasia policy?case studiescroatiaAn animal shelter reported that it experienced problems whe
36、n a veterinarian advised euthanasia but some staff members disagreed with him.The veterinarian argued that it was an act of cruelty to keep a dog alive if it was suffering,but the staff felt that humans should not decide whether animals live or die.This conflict could have been avoided if the organi
37、sation had written a clear euthanasia policy that all had read and understood.cyprusAn animal welfare organisation found that many people believed bringing an animal to a rescue centre guaranteed it a home for life.However,given the number of animals taken in,it would have been impossible for us to
38、give lifelong sanctuary to them all.This misunderstanding resulted in negative media coverage,verbal and physical abuse and complaints that we killed all animals brought to us.The organisation found that by explaining their decisions and reasons for euthanasia the criticism was reduced.brazilThe sta
39、ff at an animal shelter found that having a euthanasia policy enabled them to work with reason and not only with emotion.8creating a multi-stakeholder committeea number of individuals and organisations may have an interest in being involved in the development of your organisations euthanasia policy.
40、it is preferable to include them from the early stages of the process so that their views can be taken into consideration and ultimately they are more likely to be supportive of the final policy.These might include(*indicates essential):organisation trustees*organisation management*organisation staf
41、f*those involved directly in euthanasia decision making and practice,but also other staff who will have an interest in the organisations policy(to include those who choose animals for euthanasia,euthanasia technicians,animal caretakers,foster staff,field staff,veterinary staff,adoption staff,communi
42、cations staff)veterinarians*will be able to advise on the practicalities of the policy and relevant science welfare advisers*may be a vet,but could also be a professional trained in animal welfare government usually local,but you might also want to consult with central government if it is involved i
43、n your programme of work or if contentious issues might be raised non-governmental organisations other organisations working on similar issues or programmes of work;if you can reach a consensus it will help joint working and you can share good practice legal advisors*it is essential to ensure that y
44、our policy complies with the law in your country local community leaders/representatives members of the public will have an interest in the activities of your organisation and it is best that they are involved in the process so that they understand any decisions made religious leaders/representative
45、s particularly if euthanasia is a religious issue in your community.Following the initial review this working group can then evolve into a formal committee with representation from each relevant stakeholder.This committee should at least have terms of reference,a list of membership and outline of ro
46、les for members,a commitment to regular meetings,action plan updates and a clear aim.It may be possible to base this committee on similar models in the country,for example those created for improving human health.Each member within the committee is responsible for representing the needs of their sta
47、keholders with regards to animal welfare and the use of euthanasia(e.g.veterinary staff would raise medical considerations,management would raise financial and organisational considerations,staff would raise operational considerations etc.).Based on the issues raised by the initial review,a shared u
48、nderstanding of welfare issues can be developed,and the needs of each stakeholder should be understood.From this proposed policy and implementation measures can be drafted.The actions required by each stakeholder,both in the short-and long-term,should be discussed and agreed by the committee.This sh
49、ould include measures for further research and consultation if necessary,writing of the policy,training staff in the new policy,communicating the policy to a wider audience if necessary and ongoing monitoring,evaluation and review of the policy.Once the new policy is implemented regular meetings may
50、 be required to update on progress and discuss the results of monitoring and evaluation and hence any changes needed to the policy.The following are suggestions for improving the functioning of the committee.Seminars or workshops can be used in the planning stage to encourage input and sharing of id
