I would never want to even consider euthanizing a healthy ferret. But
the question has merit.

Imagine Katrina. Imagine you are there with your two kids and many
furkids. Imagine the water rising. Rescue workers come by on boats. No
pets are allowed on the boats, no matter how much you beg and cry. They
say there is one more boat coming in about an hour, but that will be
the last one. Do you send your kids into the hands of strangers and
stay with your pets? Do you release your pets to fend for themselves?
Do you euthanize them so they do not suffer the weeks or months of
suffering that would probably result if you left them? You have less
than an hour. What do you do?

I think that is the sort of "Sophie's Choice" the questioner
envisioned. It's easy to deny that such a situation would ever arise,
or to nobly say that you would never abandon your furkids. But such
situations HAVE arisen before, and probably will again. It's reasonable
to raise the question (and very brave!!).

I hope that preparations for speedy evacuation are all that will ever
be needed by any of us. But it's not an absurd or evil question, nor
is it a joke.

-Claire

[Posted in FML 6337]