Animal euthanasia

Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from Greek: εὐθανασία; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to continue supporting the animal, or laboratory test procedures. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress. Euthanasia is distinct from animal slaughter and pest control.

In domesticated animals, this process is commonly referred to by euphemisms such as "put down" or "put to sleep".