Question about animals because I don’t understand,...

Anonymous asked:

Question about animals because I don’t understand, when does the line get drawn between ‘this animal is disabled but has a happy life’ before it gets to negatively effecting its quality of life? Like I’m not trying to start anything I’m just genuinely confused.

is-the-owl-vid-cute Answer:

If the disability is painful, it should be put down. If it cannot reasonably get around its enclosure safely, with ramps and other mobility aids in place, it should be put down. Neurological issues that impact the animal’s perception of the world around it, it should be put down.

Good candidates for educational ambassadors with regard to raptors include: blind in one eye from an injury that has sensed healed and is no longer painful, a broken wing that healed improperly such that the wings are not the same length, but neither has significant droop or signs of causing pain, partial amputation of one wing or digits, becoming permanently habituated or imprinted on humans, genetic deformities that in some way hinder flight while not being painful to the bird, etc.

In modern rehabilitation, only imprinted owls are considered viable by most facilities as most wild owls are very high-strung in captivity and do not respond well to training that does not reinforce learned helplessness. There are individual exceptions of course, but generally few reputable facilities will go out of their way to seek non-imprinted owls on the off-chance they find a diamond in the rough.