Three Needles

“Death and dying is among the most challenging parts of medical care, and an aspect of care that crosses the species divide. While veterinarians may have the option of offering a ‘good death,’ when end of life suffering is unavoidable, doctors for human patients face a more complex legal and moral context as they strive to provide palliative care sufficient for their patients’ needs. This poem details the procedure of providing a ‘good death’ from the perspective of the human caring for her non-human companion, a pet rabbit. Although focused on animal death, it implicitly invites us to consider the human dimensions of end-of-life care while grappling with the differences between medicine for humans and medical care for non-human animals.”