Behavioral euthanasia is not limited to aggression. Pets may be suffering mentally from issues such as separation anxiety, phobias, self-harm, vocalization/yowling, fear of the dark, and nighttime restlessness. They may also have cognitive dysfunction, problems inappropriately eliminating in the house, and other behaviors that disrupt the harmony at home and the human-animal bond. In all of these cases, euthanasia should be considered only after exploring other treatments.

House-Soiling Cats

Cats who are urinating or defecating outside their litter boxes are often suffering from underlying medical causes.  Behavior modification and retraining both must be employed prior to considering euthanasia. You may also consider alternative placement in a working or barn cat program.

Fear/Anxiety

A research team at Ghent University, Belgium, recently found that anxious dogs have measurable differences in their brains linked to their anxiety. Learn more about their findings and potential treatments in their published study.