The Ethics of Animal Shelters, by Valéry Giroux, Kristin Voigt and Angie Pepper

Authors

  • B.V.E. Hyde Centre for Ethics in Medicine, Department of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, Bristol; Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society, Department of Philosophy, Durham University, Durham; Research on Research Institute, Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, University College London, London, United Kingdom https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1574-143X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7202/1118912ar

Keywords:

animal ethics, anthropocentrism, animal shelters, animal protection, translational bioethics

Language(s):

English

Abstract

In this review of The Ethics of Animal Shelters, I explore the book’s practical and philosophical approach to ethical dilemmas in animal shelters, such as euthanasia and triage. I highlight the book’s relevance to bioethics, despite the limited explicit engagement with the field, and critique its justification of killing healthy animals under nonideal conditions. I call for broader bioethical involvement in shelter ethics and the creation of ethical review boards to support decision-making.

References

1. Szocik K. The Bioethics of Space Exploration: Human Enhancement and Gene Editing in Future Space Missions. New York: Oxford University Press, 2023.

2. Giroux V, Voigt K, Pepper A, editors. The Ethics of Animal Shelters. New York: Oxford University Press; 2023.

3. Delon N. The value of death for animals: an overview. In: Giroux V, Voigt K, Pepper A, editors. The Ethics of Animal Shelters. New York: Oxford University Press; 2023. p. 103-30.

4. Pepper A. Caring in non-ideal conditions: animal rescue organizations and morally justified killing. In: Giroux V, Voigt K, Pepper A, editors. The Ethics of Animal Shelters. New York: Oxford University Press; 2023. p. 131-65.

5. Martin AK. Decision-making under non-ideal circumstances: establishing triage protocols for animal shelters. In: Giroux V, Voigt K, Pepper A, editors. The Ethics of Animal Shelters. New York: Oxford University Press; 2023. p. 166-97.

6. Jaquet F. What if they were humans? Non-ideal theory in the shelter. In: Giroux V, Voigt K, Pepper A, editors. The Ethics of Animal Shelters. New York: Oxford University Press; 2023. p. 198-222.

© Han Han Li

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Published

2025-07-07

How to Cite

[1]
Hyde B. The Ethics of Animal Shelters, by Valéry Giroux, Kristin Voigt and Angie Pepper. Can. J. Bioeth 2025;8:117-9. https://doi.org/10.7202/1118912ar.

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 3 (2025): Open Issue

Section

Book Reviews

License

Copyright (c) 2025 B.V.E. Hyde

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Canadian Journal of Bioethics applies the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License to all its publications. Authors therefore retain copyright of their publication, e.g., they can reuse their publication, link to it on their home page or institutional website, deposit a PDF in a public repository. However, the authors allow anyone to download, reuse, reprint, distribute, and/or copy their publication, so long as the original authors and source are cited.