Can we advocate for humane death while also allowing for religious freedom?

Euthanasia is a complex subject, and it could be argued that our profession is fortunate to have such a valuable tool at our disposal to help prevent animal suffering. Most of us would agree that euthanasia should be used only when absolutely necessary; however, sometimes we are called on to end the life of a healthy animal and when these situations occur, the least we can do is to ensure death is humane and painless.

As most of us are aware, our own ideals for humane death are not universal and perceptions of animal suffering vary greatly between cultures. Transportation, housing, and slaughter of animals in other countries often fails to come close to meeting our expectations for basic humane treatment of animals and many cultures do not believe that animals can experience pain and suffering as humans do. The misperception that animals cannot feel pain has different origins yet nearly all are rooted in religious doctrine.