Veterinary Guidelines

2007 AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia (Formerly Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia)

At the request of the AVMA Council on Research, the Executive Board of the AVMA convened a Panel on Euthanasia in 1999 to review and make necessary revisions to the fifth Panel Report, published in 1993. The Report of the 2000 AVMA Panel on Euthanasia was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. In 2006, the AVMA Executive Board approved a recommendation that the AVMA convene a panel of scientists at least once every 10 years to review all literature that scientifically evaluates methods and potential methods of euthanasia for the purpose of producing AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. Revisions are based on a thorough evaluation of the available science and require Executive Board approval. The first interim revision, approved in 2006, is the addition of a physical method (maceration) for euthanasia of chicks, poults, and pipped eggs. Substantive interim additions in the Guidelines are indicated by text that is underlined.

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Welfare issues are increasingly being identified in the management of free-ranging wildlife, and the need for humane euthanasia guidelines in this context is great. Collection of animals for scientific investigations, euthanasia of injured or diseased wildlife species, removal of animals causing damage to property or threatening human safety, and euthanasia of animals in excess population are drawing more public attention. These issues are acknowledged in this report and special considerations are described for handling animals under free-ranging conditions, where their needs are far different from those of their domestic counterparts.

These guidelines are intended for use by members of the veterinary profession who carry out or oversee the euthanasia of animals. Although the guidelines may be interpreted and understood by a broad segment of the general population, a veterinarian should be consulted in the application of these recommendations. The practice of veterinary medicine is complex and involves diverse animal species. Whenever possible, a veterinarian experienced with the species in question should be consulted when selecting the method of euthanasia, particularly when little species-specific euthanasia research has been done. Although interpretation and use of this report cannot be limited, the AVMA's overriding commitment is to give veterinarians guidance in relieving pain and suffering of animals that are to be euthanatized. The recommendations in these guidelines are intended to serve as guidance for veterinarians who must then use professional judgment in applying them to the various settings where animals are to be euthanatized.