While the topic of Ebola continues to spread around the world, news stories instill shock and fear throughout the United States.  It is difficult to leave one’s home without hearing a new story about the fatal disease, and with good reason.  At this moment, more than 4,000 cases have been discovered in West Africa alone.  And as the fear and mass deaths continue on to more victims, people are taking extreme precautions.

Just recently, it was announced that even animals are not safe from this frenzy.  According to a recent Washington Post article, one Spanish dog was euthanized after his owner tragically caught the disease. Spanish authorities ordered this sentence, and the dog, now famously known by his name, Excalibur, is making headlines.

Excalibur’s death naturally had People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) representatives protesting, but also seems to be causing a public uproar.  Sympathy from animal-lovers around the world has even led to the hashtag #SalvemosAExcalibur or “Let’s save Excalibur”, seen trending on Twitter Wednesday.  Sympathizers are also posting pictures with their animals online to spread their concern on the issue.  Without proof that the animal has the disease, these individuals said that precautionary euthanasia is unfair to the animals.

Just by analyzing the word of “euthanasia,” one can see what these officials are doing should be categorized by a much more viscious word.  The definition of euthanasia, at least when pertaining to humans, reads “the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease.”

  What the Spanish officials did was not merciful, as it was not even known if Excalibur had Ebola. Instead, what has occurred is preemptive killing.

Those surrounded by Ebola may believe that it is logical to put down these animals because the death toll is so high, yet as of now, it is not even known if animals are able to spread the disease to humans.  A study conducted from 2001-02 found that dogs previously have contracted the virus, but according to the Associated Press, no cases of Ebola spread from dogs to humans have ever been documented.  Still, with so little information on the disease’s nature, the death of dogs, along with the subsequent deaths of primates and other animals, continues.

It seems ridiculous this cycle of killing goes on when there are many ways to ensure that animals do not spread the disease to humans.  Quarantining, for instance, is a less harmful solution that would have the potentially infected animals away from the public to prevent Ebola from spreading.  It only takes up to 21 days for symptoms to present themselves, making the quarantine process relatively short, especially when the alternative is death.

Quarantine is already being taken up in some instances. Nina Pham, a Dallas Ebola victim who contracted the disease from the first U.S. victim, Thomas Eric Duncan, currently has her dog being quarantined by local officials.  As of now, the dog, Bentley, has shown no symptoms of the disease and seems safe.

This one instance may be uplifting, but unfortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has yet to come up with a protocol for animals thought to have Ebola.  Until they do, animals may continue to die unjustly, when a little time and consideration could save their lives.