World Poverty, Animal Minds and the Ethics of Veterinary Expenditure

John Hadley and Siobhan O'Sullivan

Environmental Values, 2009, vol. 18, issue 3, pages 361-378

Abstract: In this paper we make an argument for limiting veterinary expenditure on companion animals. The argument combines two principles: the obligation to give and the self-consciousness requirement. In line with the former, we ought to give money to organisations helping to alleviate preventable suffering and death in developing countries; the latter states that it is only intrinsically wrong to painlessly kill an individual that is self-conscious. Combined, the two principles inform an argument along the following lines: rather than spending inordinate amounts of money on veterinary care when a companion animal is sick or injured, it is better to give the money to an aid organisation and painlessly kill the animal.

Keywords: Pet keeping; giving to charity; utilitarianism; Singer; Shallow Pond (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D63 I31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009

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