Kathleen Cooney DVM, MS, CHPV, CPEV, DACAW, explains evolving ethical challenges in companion animal euthanasia, including owner-team conflicts, changing costs, hospice and palliative care uptake, team roles, and environmental impacts.
Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS, CHPV, CPEV, DACAW, reviews several ethical trends shaping companion animal euthanasia in 2026 and beyond. She highlights the persistent potential for moral conflict between owners and veterinary teams, and points to concrete areas clinics should watch, such as rising costs as specialized euthanasia services expand, earlier adoption of hospice and palliative care, clearer utilization and role definitions for technicians and assistants, and environmental concerns related to drug choice and disposal.
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Her observations are grounded in recent research and practical experience, and are intended to help clinical teams anticipate ethical tensions and improve end-of-life care. The following is a transcript from the video:
Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS, CHPV, CPEV, DACAW: Emerging ethical issues in companion animal euthanasia continue to evolve. Today, in 2026, these issues have been coming up for years and will continue for a long time. Euthanasia is an appointment that will always be here.
In veterinary medicine we have the potential for moral conflict and moral distress in the euthanasia work that we do, because an owner’s wishes can be very different from what the veterinary team thinks is appropriate. The veterinary team might be leaning toward euthanasia while the client leans away, and vice versa.
Overall, I think veterinary medicine is doing reasonably well at considering ethical issues that arise during euthanasia. Both veterinarians and technicians are trying to find common ground and determine what will be best for the owner and for the patient. From the research I have reviewed, pet owners are generally satisfied with how veterinarians and veterinary teams care for them during difficult end-of-life times, which tells me there are many things aligning in good ways.
Some emerging issues I have been watching include the changing cost of euthanasia services, especially as specialty mobile services and brick-and-mortar practices offer more specialized euthanasia experiences. Costs may be increasing in these areas.
I am also watching hospice and palliative care, and how often veterinary teams are adopting those options earlier so we can care for animals leading up to euthanasia. Hospice and palliative care options are an emerging topic.
Team utilization is another area of focus: how well we leverage technicians, assistants, and other team members and how we define their roles in euthanasia. It is about putting the right people in the right seats to support owners and patients during euthanasia procedures.
Another emerging topic, which I am not sure is strictly an ethical consideration but is important, is environmental protection around euthanasia. That includes thinking about the drugs we use and the techniques we choose, and ensuring those choices are appropriate for the patient and for the environment. I have been keeping an eye on those issues in particular.