Table 2 Veterinarians’ attitudes towards physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in humans
Statement | Strongly agree, n (%) | Partially agree, n (%) | Neither agree, nor disagree, n (%) | Partially disagree, n (%) | Strongly disagree, n (%) | Total, n |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. ‘Physician-assisted suicide should be permitted for persons suffering from a fatal disease with a short remaining life expectancy.’a | 805 (31.5%) | 814 (31.9%) | 318 (12.5%) | 198 (7.8%) | 420 (16.4%) | 2555 |
2. ‘Euthanasia should be permitted for persons suffering from a fatal disease with a short remaining life expectancy.’a | 666 (26.0%) | 738 (28.9%) | 399 (15.6%) | 252 (9.9%) | 500 (19.6%) | 2555 |
3. ‘Assisted dying should be permitted also for persons suffering from an incurable chronic disease, but who are not dying.’a | 414 (16.3%) | 690 (27.1%) | 545 (21.4%) | 309 (12.1%) | 590 (23.2%) | 2548 |
4. ‘There are cases in which it may be right/morally defensible for the doctor to provide assisted dying, even though it is illegal.’a | 525 (20.6%) | 787 (30.8%) | 432 (16.9%) | 243 (9.5%) | 568 (22.2%) | 2555 |