What's A Vet To Do?

Earlier this month, a Florida family was reunited with Candy, their Maltese, eight months after they paid to have the dog euthanized. The short version of the story: Candy had painful tumors in her ears that the family could not afford to treat. (Read the details.) They requested euthanasia. After they left their ailing dog at a Winter Park hospital, a “fill-in vet” performed the surgery to fix Candy’s ears and “rescued her” or “stole her” (depending on your perspective). Eight months later, the veterinarian-owner of the hospital contacted the family to say the dog was alive and would be returned. The family was not happy.

Mishandling aside, the situation raises a serious ethical question: What are vets to do when euthanasia is requested for a dog with a treatable condition? These situations are “troubling and stressful,” says to Dr. Patty Khuly, a veterinarian in South Miami, who wrote about Candy on Dolittler.com. Dr. Khuly pointed out there are options. Veterinarians can, and often do, offer to perform procedures for free or at discounts. They can also request to transfer ownership to the hospital, which will seek a guardian who can afford treatment. But what if the guardian insists on euthanasia?

It's a complicated legal and ethical zone. I’m curious to learn what Bark readers think.

Lisa Wogan