Here's something I've always wondered (and I bet Alex will agree): Why do we, as a society, condemn euthanasia in humans, but not for animals? At first the answer might seem easy, but think about your beloved pet and reverse your normal take on it. Rather than animals lives are worth less, so its easier to kill them, think about hy we kill them. We take such comfort in ending their pain, putting them out of their misery, or at least so we say. But if we love them/cherish their lives and happiness less than we do, say, Grandpa, then why do we refuse to put poor Grandpa out of his misery? Particularly if he as a concious being has ASKED for it?

The only way to reconcile these things is to say that with animals it is a cold financial decision. A sick pet sucks up too much money and should just be put down. But outside of your average farm I think this sentiment is probably pretty rare among pet owners. They will usually go to incredible lengths to keep their pets alive, but when the situation becomes hopeless they invariably succumb and commit euthanasia. So why the cognitive dissidence?