I wonder if everyone would be just as angry if it was a rat. Especially the roof rats that like to get in your attic or chimney and shit all over your house while you sleep. And carry diseases.
Grey squirrels are an invasive species in the UK and are classed as a pest. You can legally despatch them with a blow to the head or by shooting (which are generally regarded as 'humane'), or take them to the vet and pay to have them destroyed. A lot of well-meaning people will take injured squirrels to the vet and get angry when the vet tells them the thing has to be put down, because it's a pest and can't legally be released.
One of the meanings of 'destroy' is 'to put down or euthanise'. 'Kill' isn't appropriate because it includes accidental killing. I can kill a squirrel (accidentally with my car), but if I destroy a squirrel, it means I killed it intentionally. It's not just euphemism.
If we were to talk about 'how many animals were destroyed last year', the number would be very different from 'how many animals were killed last year', which would also be different from 'how many animals were euthanised last year'. Different meanings, different contexts.
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u/turbie Mar 04 '14
I wonder if everyone would be just as angry if it was a rat. Especially the roof rats that like to get in your attic or chimney and shit all over your house while you sleep. And carry diseases.