Ending a life

Why is it that I can end the suffering of a sweet wonderful dog or cat, and why was it that no one was allowed to end the suffering of my mother who so desperately, and I believe legitimately, wanted nothing more than to end her pain? Why is it that I could not offer my father, finally, the gift of a gentle rest instead of the tortured route his body traveled on? Surely they deserved to be treated as kindly as are my dogs and cats. SFGate Why not? Because there's a fundamental difference between a person and a dog or a cat. Human beings are made in the image of God.