A final act of love: The decision-making experience of Malaysian owners electing companion animal euthanasia

Abstract Companion animal owners (CAOs) may resonate with the struggle that life rests on their hands to say yes or no when considering companion animal euthanasia (CAE). This can lead to guilt, doubt, and self-blame, increasing complicated grief risks. In addition, it is common that CAOs experience anticipatory grief during the CAE decision-making process. Studies on CAE are limited in Asia and knowledge about the theoretical or conceptual framework concerning CAE decision-making is also scarce. Consequently, this basic qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of Malaysian CAOs in electing CAE, regarding the context, process, and outcomes. Six CAOs with CAE decision-making experience from December 2022 to March 2024 were recruited via a purposive sampling method. The participants were then provided with an online semi-structured interview. Based on the thematic analysis data, the core themes encapsulating the experiences of Malaysian CAOs across four phases of CAE decision-making include health concerns of the companion animals, selecting CAE as an option, executing the CAE decision, and evaluating the CAE decision. The findings also revealed that CAE decision-making involves logical assessment and the subconscious emotional responses of CAOs. Notably, the participants affirmed that they did not regret their decision, with half viewing CAE as a final act of love. According to the participants, careful deliberation during the CAE decision-making process and the re-establishment of identity as responsible owners, acting out of love and care for their companion animals, exerted a meaningful influence on their experiences. The findings from this study offer insights for mental health and veterinary professionals in developing strategies to support CAOs considering CAE. Nevertheless, this study excluded CAOs involved in CAE decision-making who ultimately did not select euthanasia, a population that could be considered in future research aiming to develop a conceptual framework or theoretical model of CAE decision-making.