Sir, – As someone who grew up working with animals, mainly horses and dogs, I know there have been many times when the fairest, kindest thing to do is to put an animal to sleep after a long terminal illness where we all done everything we can to help.
Ask any good vet or animal trainer: very sick animals often tell us very clearly when they have given up wanting to live any longer.
If you or I didn’t help that terminally sick animal die peacefully, in a pain-free and dignified way, and forced that animal to live to the bitter end, regardless of the pain or mental suffering, then we would, quite rightly, be prosecuted.
Why, in this progressive land, do animals have more rights to a peaceful, pain free, dignified death than us mere humans do? – Yours, etc,
SAMMY LESLIE,
Glaslough,
Co Monaghan.
Sir, – If Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore is anything more than a self-serving politician he will support his own rhetoric by enabling the drafting of legislation to address the issue of assisted suicide (Home News, December 21st).
Tom Curran (Marie Fleming’s partner) will need all the support he can muster to keep their campaign going. – Yours, etc,
ERIC C O’BRIEN,
Point Clear,
Alabama, US.