So, I’ve said it before, and this may be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think euthanasia or death is the worst thing to happen to an animal (long-suffering deaths and improperly done euthanasias aside). Im not saying it’s good, and it’s certainly sad, but it’s not bad either-it’s neutral.
I personally find it really uncomfortable how many people in the captivity debate want captivity to persist for unreleasable animals when euthanasia is an accessible and compassionate option. I’m not saying that cetacean rescue and rehab centres shouldn’t exist, but given that euthanasia is commonly employed in every other type of wildlife rescue, I find it… strange that it’s not commonly accepted for cetaceans (among people who debate captivity at least, and both sides too).
Winter’s death reminded me how prevalent this weird subtle anti-euthanasia mindset is among ceta people. And I want to be clear, that Winter’s death is tragic and heartbreaking and that I’m not trying to use her death as a soapbox; as I said, this is something I’ve mentioned before. However I’ve seen several people get huffy about whether or not it was cruel to keep Winter alive, so I think it’s important to bring this point up.
I also want to say that, as an anti-cap, CMA is probably the only facility I respect (despite its flaws), and I do not believe that I or anyone not directly working with Winter could determine what is better for her welfare. I think Winter probably lived a decent life. *I also don’t want people to think that support doesn’t euthanizing animals disabled enough to have a poor quality welfare can in any way be equated to disabled humans, don’t even fucking go there, disabled humans deserve to live and not have abled people call for their deaths thank you*
While I trust that CMA prioritized Winter’s welfare, I also have to admit that I’ve seen ARAs try to save similarly disabled animals and been (rightfully) called out for poor animal welfare (by procaps)-for example, horses and elephants with amputated legs that are given prosthetics. This is cruel, and in these cases the animals should have been euthanized and the resources spent on them distributed to other animals in need. While Winter was not a heavy quadruped, she no doubt developed problems like scoliosis that may have even contributed to her fatal GI problems. For these reasons I also questioned Winter’s situation, but she seemed to do well otherwise, so I wasn’t significantly concerned. It felt like one of those situations that toed the line and either decision can be justified-like an old dog with worsening arthritis, where you can tell the animal is happy but also in pain and you aren’t sure what’s the right decision, cause you don’t want to euthanize a happy healthy animal, but you don’t want an animal to suffer either. I also can’t deny that CMA definitely got publicity and money from Winter, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but to pretend like that isn’t potentially a factor in choosing to keep her alive despite health issues is disingenuous.
I don’t think CMA should have euthanized her instead of rescue, or euthanized her when she developed scoliosis, i don’t have an opinion on her situation at all cause it’s not my position to make those kinds of decisions.
But I also think that euthanasia would not have been the wrong decision. And it does concern me that ceta folks balk so much at the idea that euthanasia is also a kind, potentially even kinder, option for animals like Winter. A good death is always better than a shitty life.