Category Archives: Euthanasia

More dog food has been recalled because it may contain a deadly drug.

Evangers Dog and Cat Food announced Tuesday that it is expanding its recall of both Evangers and Against the Grain dog foods because the canned foods may be tainted with pentobarbital. The barbiturate is used to euthanize animals as well as in human executions and physician-assisted suicides.

The initial voluntary recall was announced earlier this month after five Washougal, Clark County, dogs became ill after eating Evangers Hunk of Beef products, and one died.

The expanded recall announced Tuesday includes:

Evangers Hunk of Beef; 12 ounce can; Item #776155

Evangers: Braised Beef; 12 ounce can; Item #776150

Against the Grain Pulled Beef; 12 ounce can; Item #776107

The three recalled products were made between December 2015 and January 2017, and have expiration dates of December 2019 through January 2021, according to Evangers. The products were distributed online and through independent pet stores nationwide.

How the deadly drug and horse meat got into the cans of dog food remains a mystery.

Evangers vice president has blamed his meat supplier for the problem. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected the suppliers plant and found systems in place to keep euthanized animals out of the food stream, according to Food Safety News.

Evangers vice president Joel Sher told Petfoodindustry.com that along with pentobarbital, private laboratory results found horse DNA in samples of the Hunk of Beef dog food that were recalled Feb. 3. Against the Grain Pet Food recalled one lot of Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs on Feb. 14. Against the Grain is owned by members of the Sher family, according to Petfood Industry.

There is also an issue about the quality of meat Evangers used and the condition of its plants where the food is produced, according to the FDA.

FDA officials have said the Hunk of Beef meat did not come from a U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved supplier of human-grade meat, something that Evangers has claimed since 2003, according to Food Safety News.

And Petfood Industry says FDA inspectors also noted food-safety problems at Evangers Wheeling, Ill., plant where the dog foods are produced. Some of these issues included peeling paint and mold on the walls, lack of raw meat refrigeration, and an open sewer within 25 feet of food storage trailers, Petfood Industry says.

Sher has said he has contested those notes in a response to the FDA.

Original post:

Evanger's expands recall because dog food may contain euthanasia drug - The Seattle Times

BBC News

DJ's assisted suicide stirs up Italy euthanasia debate BBC News The debate has been especially passionate in a country where the Roman Catholic Church, which is deeply opposed to euthanasia, still holds great sway. The Church sees it as the morally unacceptable killing of a person - a violation of the law of God. DJ, 40, ends his life at Swiss suicide clinic after crash that left him paralysedMetro 'Please let me die': Paralysed DJ euthanises himself following horror crashYahoo7 News Italy: assisted dying debate reignitedeuronews ANSA (registration) all 8 news articles »

Read the original post:

DJ's assisted suicide stirs up Italy euthanasia debate - BBC News

By Carol Christian, Houston Chronicle

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Keep clicking to see a gallery of some unusual last wishes of people near the end of their lives:

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Keep clicking to see a gallery

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last wishes come in many forms. Some are more unusual than others.

Last wishes come in many forms. Some are more unusual than others.

Family time

Family time

Fictional

Fictional

A final visit

A final visit

Stopping time

Stopping time

The final wishes of Charles Peeples, a Seguin tow truck operator and owner, were granted when his hearse was given a final lift by his flatbed during his funeral procession on June 4, 2016.

The final wishes of Charles Peeples, a Seguin tow truck operator and owner, were granted when his hearse was given a final lift by his flatbed during his funeral procession on June 4, 2016.

A new home

A new home

Celebration

Celebration

Devin Kohlman rests at his home in Port Clinton, Ohio after returning from a Cincinnati hospital. Kohlman, a boy whose last wish was to be home for his favorite holiday, has died, two weeks after his hometown welcomed him with a Christmas tree outside his window and a motorcycle-riding Santa Claus. Devin, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in the summer of 2012, died Monday, Nov. 11, 2013 in the afternoon, said family friend Roseann Hickman.

Devin Kohlman rests at his home in Port Clinton, Ohio after returning from a Cincinnati hospital. Kohlman, a boy whose last wish was to be home for his favorite holiday, has died, two weeks

Clear his name

Clear his name

Being there

Being there

Heart and home

Heart and home

Warn the living

Warn the living

Snowy romp

Snowy romp

Last Wishes mobile pet euthanasia service adds storefront hospice for pets

Anyone who lives with companion animals knows that the bond is unique, but can be just as profound as the connection with human loved ones.

So when it's time to put down a pet that is terminally ill or otherwise suffering, animal lovers want to do it as humanely as possible, but may struggle to make the decision.

Helping people cope with that struggle has led to a successful business known as Last Wishes, a 4-year-old mobile pet euthanasia service that allows animals to die at home in a familiar and comfortable environment.

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Owned by Dr. Christie Cornelius, Last Wishes has also opened a storefront hospice at 3036 Antoine to provide pet owners another option.

"For people who don't wish to have services performed in their homes or are looking for a less-expensive alternative, we offer in-center euthanasia," Cornelius said.

"What we're offering in our center is a home away from home," she said. "The 'exam rooms' look like living rooms with plush furniture and area rugs in a nice, relaxing, stress-free environment."

The center, near U.S. 290 and West 34th Street in northwest Houston, also offers pain management, laser therapy, acupuncture, pet-loss support groups and community networking, Cornelius said.

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Most clients come to Last Wishes, either the mobile service or Antoine Drive center, through referrals from other veterinarians, but Cornelius said a referral is not required,

"After a long conversation, we get an idea of whether euthanasia is warranted," she said. "We talk (clients) through a quality-of-life evaluation, to see in what ways their pets are suffering. Typically when an owner is ready, the pet is ready."

A new service, "aquamation," is being offered through a sister business, Earthman Last Wishes, which Cornelius co-owns with partner David Earthman. Rather than cremation of a body through burning, aquamation uses water with a salt base and takes about 20 hours.

"We have the first unit for private use in Texas," Cornelius said of the aquamation facility. "It's an environmentally friendly way to honor your pet."

See the article here:

Last Wishes mobile pet euthanasia service adds storefront hospice for pets - Chron.com

An Italian DJ who was left blind and tetraplegic following a car crash, has died by assisted suicide in Switzerland, as politicians in Rome delayed talks on a living will law for a third time.

Thirty-nine-year-old Fabiano Antoniani sustained the injuries in 2014.

Right-to-die activist and former MEP Marco Cappato accompanied him to the Swiss clinic.

He tweeted: Fabo died at 11.40. He chose to go by the rules of a country that is not his.

In a later statement, Cappato told the press: On Monday morning (February 27), after a second medical examination, he confirmed his wish to die. He then used his mouth one of the few movements he was able to perform by himself to activate the substance that would send him to sleep within minutes then, without suffering, he died.

Cappato could face five to 12 years in prison if found guilty of helping Antoniani to commit suicide.

In Italy, euthanasia is illegal. However, patients do have the right to refuse care, which has led to several contradicting cases.

Antoniani, known as DJ Fabo, had appealed to President Sergio Mattarella for the right to die and, shortly before his death, criticised Italy for failing to pass laws on end-of-life issues.

See the article here:

Italy: tetraplegic DJ stirs up euthanasia debate by assisted suicide in Switzerland - euronews

MercatorNet

Euthanasia and Alzheimer's: Canada takes a step in the wrong direction MercatorNet The euthanasia machine has once again become activated, following the compassionate murder of a woman with advanced stage Alzheimer's. Although the details are not yet known, it appears that her exhausted spouse may have cracked. The despair ... and more »

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Euthanasia and Alzheimer's: Canada takes a step in the wrong direction - MercatorNet

Choice is an Illusion President Margaret Dore States Hawaii Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia Act Must Be Rejected

HONOLULU, Feb. 27, 2017 -- Attorney Margaret Dore, president of Choice is an Illusion, which is fighting assisted suicide and euthanasia legalization efforts throughout the United States, made the following statement in connection with an assisted suicide/euthanasia bill set for hearing tomorrow in the Hawaii State Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor. The bill is SB 1129 S.D. 1.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/58967841-09da-4273-934a-f638de752bac

The bill seeks to pass a proposed act legalizing assisted suicide and allowing euthanasia, said Dore. If enacted, the act will apply to people with years or decades to live. The act is a recipe for elder abuse, especially for people with money, meaning the middle class and above in the inheritance situation.

Dore said, "The proposed act allows the patient's heir, who will financially benefit from the patient's death, to actively participate in requesting the lethal dose. After that, no doctor, not even a witness, is required to be present at the death. Even if the patient struggled, who would know?"

"But, it gets worse," said Dore, "the death certificate is required to list a terminal disease as the cause of death, which prevents prosecution." Dore explained, "The official cause of death is a terminal disease (not murder) as a matter of law. For inheritance perpetrators, the death certificate is a 'stay out of jail free card.'

Dore stated, If enacted, the proposed act will legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia for people who are 'terminal,' which is defined as a doctor's prediction of less than six months to live. In real life, such persons may have years or decades to live."

"Doctors can be wrong about life expectancy, sometimes way wrong," said Dore. "This is due to mistakes and the fact that predicting life expectancy is not an exact science. A few years ago, I was met at the airport by a man who at age 18 or 19 had been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and given 3 to 5 years to live, at which time he would die by paralysis. His diagnosis had been confirmed by the Mayo Clinic. When he met me at the airport, he was 74 years old. The disease progression had stopped on its own."

Dore stated, The proposed act is based on a similar law in Oregon. In Oregon, a young adult with insulin dependent diabetes is terminal because the six months to live is determined without treatment. A typical insulin dependent adult will live less than a month without insulin. Such persons are therefore terminal for the purpose of assisted suicide.

Dore added, By contrast, with insulin, such persons may have decades to years or decades to live.

Dore concluded, The proposed act will create the perfect crime and encourage people with years or decades to live to throw away their lives. The act must be rejected.

For more information, see Dore Memo Opposing SB 1129 SD1, which can be viewed at these links: memoand appendix.

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Choice is an Illusion President Margaret Dore States Hawaii ... - EconoTimes

The lives of elderly and severely ill persons and people with disabilities would be threatened under a proposal to legalize assisted suicide introduced in the Minnesota Senate today. Because of the broad dangers of assisted suicide, the bill is strongly opposed by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), the states oldest and largest pro-life organization.

S.F. 1572 would overturn the states longstanding prohibition against assisted suicide. A similar bill was introduced in 2015 and never received a vote.

Our law against assisted suicide has protected vulnerable people for many years, said MCCL Legislative Associate Andrea Rau. Minnesotans recognize that persons seeking help to kill themselves need immediate care, including medical and mental health carenot assisted suicide.

By legalizing assisted suicide, this bill would open the door to new kinds of pressure and coercion. In Oregon, which pioneered legal assisted suicide, 40 percent of assisted suicide victims have expressed concern about being a burden on family and friends, according to the Oregon Public Health Division. S.F. 1572 does not require the prescribing physician to even be present when the lethal dose is administered, and no witnesses to the death are required. No one would know if the person died against his or her will.

Keep up with the latest pro-life news and information on Twitter.

If assisted suicide is legalized, it becomes the least expensive treatment. Public and private insurers may have a financial incentive to steer patients toward assisted suicide rather than life-extending treatment. This has already happened to some patients in Oregon, where some patients have been denied life-extending treatment by health care providers, and instead offered coverage of life-ending medication.

The Senate bill relies on a terminal diagnosis, but such diagnoses are sometimes wrong. Legalizing assisted suicide encourages patients who would live for weeks, months, years or even decades to throw their lives away.

The broad dangers of legalizing assisted suicide must not be ignored, Rau added. The bill introduced today poses serious risks for Minnesotans. MCCL urges legislators to oppose this measure.

LifeNews.com Note: Bill Poehler is the communications director for Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life.

Go here to see the original:

Minnesota Euthanasia Advocates Introduce Legislation to Legalize ... - LifeNews.com

Take a walk through pretty much any city in Bulgaria and you will spot at least one homeless animal wandering the streets in search of food. Plovdiv is one city that stands out for its large stray animal population. Dogs and cats flood the streets of this city and while most citizens turn a blind eye to the suffering and hardships of these animals, there is one woman who does not.

Desislava Stoyanova has spent the last 12 years rescuing animals from the streets of Plovdiv, her hometown. Through adoption and fostering, Desislava has given hundreds of animals a second chance at life.

Desislavas love for animals extends far beyond just talk.Desislava shares, My story with animals, started a long time ago. I live in a rough part of the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria and the cruelty for animals there was daily. I cried a lot, but then realized that I needed to act too! She continues, I remember, I was about 19 years old, at Uni, and had just met my boyfriend (now husband). None of us had lots of money, but we gave them all for dogs and cats food and for visits to the vets. And we did not regret this even for a second! We grew up together, surrounded by the love of the beautiful babies we picked up from the streets, and we couldnt have had it any other way! Now, we have a beautiful baby boy and he will grow up knowing how to cherish all animals and help those in need, animals, and humans!

She takes in animals that many others have deemed unsavable and done her absolute best to ensure that even the most tragic cases get the care they deserve. Oftentimes, she fits the veterinary bills for the animals recovery all on her own because, to her, giving up on a life is simply not an option.

To help care for the hundreds of animals who have entered her life, Desislava set up theSave Me Facebook pagewhere she calls on followers for either donations or help finding a good home for some of her charges. Through her page and the support she has received from it, Desislava has managed to rent a foster home in a nearby village to house some of the cats and dogs that need help.

Currently, 24 dogs and 20 cats are residing there but tragically, this could all change due to a complaint from her neighbors. According to Desislava, the local council has given until the end of April 2017 for her to remove all the animals from the property. If she fails to do so, the animals will be confiscated and likely euthanized.

As dire as this situation is, Desislava has no time to sit around moping. In fact, shes already sprung into action by purchasing an old run down building in a nearby village for the sake of housing the 40 animals in need of a new home. The trouble is, the building is in need of major renovations. Fencing, furniture, and building materials are all needed to make this building suitable for the soon-to-be homeless animals. However, in order to make these modifications to the building, Desislava is desperate need of funds.

However, in order to make these modifications to the building, Desislava is desperate need of funds.So far, she estimates that the total cost of renovation will come out to $8,000, but in this new space, she will be able to provide a safe home for many more animals than she currently has in her care.

In addition to making appeals on the Save Me Facebook page, Desislava has launched a GoFundMe campaign. Together, we can help give a new home to the nearly 50 animals in her care and ensure that many more will also get the winning chance they deserve.

As they say, it takes nothing away from a person to be kind to an animal, and in the case of this amazing woman many, many animals are lucky enough to receive that kindness.

Click here to read more about Desislavas project and make a donation.

All image source: Desislava Stoyanova

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45 Rescued Cats and Dogs Are Facing Euthanasia But One Woman is Fighting to Build Them Shelter - One Green Planet

PIKE COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - The Pike County Animal Shelter has been able to reduce their euthanasia rates to eight percent.

"It took a lot of burden off the people that have to do the bad thing. And now we don't have to hardly do it anymore," Jason Burke, animal control officer, said.

The Appalachian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Pike County Fiscal Court are covering each animal's expenses.

"That means that you'll get an animal that's spayed and neutered, vaccine, I mean, de-wormed, and everything," Burke said.

92 percent of animals that come to the shelter are released to adoption and rescues.

James and Whitney Whaley adopted their puppy, Dobby, on Valentine's Day.

"When you adopt from a shelter, it's kind of good you already have a dog that's established and you get to take them out of a bad situation and put them in a better situation," Whitney Whaley, owner of an adopted dog, said.

For the Whaley's, adopting their dog was one of the best decisions they made.

"It's now the three of us, while he's still definitely a dog, I mean, he's still kind of a part of the family," Whitney Whaley said.

Officials at the shelter, shared about 10 to 12 animals are adopted each and every day.

Read more:

Pike County animal shelter reduces euthanasia rates - WYMT News (press release)

Quebec is about to embark upon a debate on the involuntary euthanasia of demented elderly after a 55-year-old man in Montreal allegedly smothered his Alzheimers stricken wife and posted what he had done on Facebook. Michel Cadotte was charged with second-degree murder after his 60-year-old wife died in an assisted care facility.

He said on Facebook that he had "cracked" and "consented to her demands to help her die." Although the facts are not clear yet, the media has reported that the woman requested medical aid in dying but was refused.

Under Quebecs 2015 law, euthanasia for the demented is specifically excluded. A person who makes a request for medical assistance in dying must be capable of consent, Jean-Pierre Mnard, a Montreal medical lawyer, told the Montreal Gazette. This means the patient must understand their state of health and can express their will. A patient with advanced Alzheimers no longer has the capacity to consent, no longer has the cognitive capacity to understand.

The Gazette reports that Quebec parliamentarians now want to open a public debate on legalizing euthanasia for persons unable to give informed consent. This debate about extending eligibility for euthanasia is happening just a bit more than a year after the law came into effect.

The Quebec Alzheimers Society contends that demented patients need to be protected. "It's very difficult with the complexity of dementia to know for sure what a person with dementia would want today," April Hayward, of the Society told CTV News. "They may have expressed a wish ten years ago and do we know for certain that's what they would want today?"

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Should Quebec's Alzheimer's patients be eligible for euthanasia? - BioEdge