Quality of Life and Euthanasia

When we take a companion animal, a pet, into our home, we expect that they will be with us for their whole life. A pet may become a treasured friend – even our best friend – and is often considered to be part of the family. We are responsible for our pet’s welfare, and have a duty to make sure that they have a good quality of life, however long or short that may be.

At some stage in a pet’s life we will almost certainly need to consult a vet and decide on the best choice of veterinary treatment, and ultimately one of those choices may be euthanasia. 

We understand that euthanasia is a difficult choice and we've put together the following booklet in partnership with the University of Glasgow to help guide pet owners through the process. We are extremely grateful to the University of Glasgowand especially to renowned veterinary surgeon Dr Mary Stewart, who pioneered an ethical approach to the vet-client-patient environment, to Dr Dorothy McKeegan and to Dr Lesley Wiseman-Orr for their support in creating this guide.

Download our booklet here

If you have been affected by pet bereavement please click here for further support.