Are you pro or against animal euthanasia? I used to be staunchly against it—until I realized just how bad the problem of overpopulation is. I’d much rather see a poor cat put out of her misery than be left to starve, be abandoned or beaten, or be run over by a car.

I do think we should have stricter laws about animal reproduction, however, and think that these animal breeders who do it for profit—“purebred” animals or whatever—shouldn’t be allowed to breed as vastly as they do. With so many poor “mutts” and mixed-breeds needing love and care, we don’t need any more “miracles” made.

Of course, I think the same thing about children—I know, I’m a hypocrite since I have one, but when I got pregnant myself I felt differently than I thought I would. That said, the world is overpopulated by both children AND domesticated pets, and everyone should give it some thought before they think about making more.

Why not take in one or two that are already here, just waiting for some love? We’ve adopted both of our pets from a shelter and they are amazing (and fixed), and if we decide to give our daughter a brother or sister in the future, he or she will be from someone else’s loins—but adopted into our own hearts.

Anyway, back to euthanasia. The American Veterinary Medical Association is having its official Guidelines on Euthanasia being updated by 12 different groups composed of professionals in the business. Procedures need to be determined if they are acceptable or not, as well as different medications. Minimizing of pain and suffering, thankfully, are going to be at the forefront of the new regulations.

What’s more, the feds base their own laws on these regulations, so what’s decided will pretty much become law. They haven’t been reviewed since 1999, when 13 people met to discuss them. Today’s panel includes a whopping 72 people; hopefully most of them will be speaking on behalf of the animals’ sake.

Some activists are hoping that the new guidelines will take using a gas chamber for euthanasia off the table. We have for humans—why haven’t we stopped using this inhumane method for animals as well? One reason, experts say, is because there isn’t much data to go on, so professional testimonies are used as evidence instead.

Hopefully this new draft will include a ban on gas chambers as well as compassion overall. It will be implemented next year.