VME 6817: Humane Euthanasia Practices for Animal Shelters

Course Overview

This course will serve to establish best practices for students interested in coaching shelters in humane euthanasia.  Prerequisites would be that you have access to an animal shelter where you can observe and discuss euthanasia practices during the course. Registration for this course is departmentally-controlled to ensure that each student will be prepared to complete the requirements of the course. 3 credit course.

Course Content

This course will provide an overview of shelter euthanasia from a management/organizational perspective.  The intent is to train individuals responsible for oversight of euthanasia in shelters so that this process is managed with foresight and empathy. Students will assess a shelter and evaluate euthanasia practices including a clear mission statement regarding euthanasia, the existence of a written euthanasia procedure or policy document and whether a written procedure document exists for euthanasia. Additionally students should be familiar with federal and state laws that impact euthanasia and sedation including DEA compliance for controlled substances.  Students will also assess the training offered to their euthanasia technicians including both lectures and practical skills.  Furthermore, students will will discuss objective ways to evaluate technical proficiency with a checklist for competency By the end of the course students will develop  standard operating procedure for euthanasia that they can implemented in an animal shelter. 

Enrollment Information

  • For Current Syllabus and Course Instructor, please reference the Course Tracker.
  • Course Number: VME 6817 all sections
  • Semester Credit Hours: 3
  • Term: Summer
  • Pre-Requisites/Co-Requisites: Access to an animal shelter where you can observe and discuss euthanasia practices during the course.