The end of animal life: a start for ethical debate: On the role of the human-animal relationship and the plurality of views on the value of animals

Abstract

Making decisions about the end of animal life is common practice, yet it is not morally neutral. The end of animal life is related to many societal and ethical questions and concerns. Questions such as how long should we continue to treat an animal before killing it? Or whether it could be legitimate to kill individual animals for the welfare of the herd or for the survival of future generations. This edited volume aims to get grip on the many questions related to the end of animal life. The chapters show how the plurality of views on killing animals is related to moral presuppositions by providing an overview on the ethical views on end of life decisions. Furthermore, the book contains a number of applied studies of the ethical questions related to killing animals in various practices including livestock farming, animal experimentation, companion animals, wildlife management, and fishing and fish farming. These chapters can help students, veterinarians, scientists, policy makers and many other professionals working with animals to easily get a good overview of the issues at stake and contribute to responsible decisions with regard to the end of animal life.