Do veterinarians have the right to put an animal down?

It is never easy to euthanize an animal, particularly one that you have treated for the last decade from its first puppy shots to setting its broken leg to monitoring and managing its Diabetes. Most veterinarians learn to maintain a small amount of emotional distance from their patients for this reason - it makes it a little easier to be objective and provide a realistic prognosis when the worst happens. However, there are always patients that sneak into your heart and are gut-wrenching to say goodbye to.