Editorial Design, BookBinding

Good Death

The objective of this personal project was to organize a massive quantity of data in a way that impacts people and compels them to ponder their everyday decisions or reframe their thinking. I was shocked to hear the statistic that 19,710 individual dogs and cats that were euthanatized in Los Angeles animal shelters in one year. Pit bulls and pit bull mixes comprised 55% of the total dogs euthanatized, while neonatal kittens comprised 15% of the cats euthanatized. These facts became the basis for extensive research into the subject, and ultimately resulted in the creation of this book.

An infographic of sorts, this book contains the personal details for each of the 19,710 individual dogs and cats that were euthanatized beside the signature of the person who authorized the procedure. The disquieting data is presented in a clinical, dispassionate way, contrasting the lasting emotional impression imparted by the book's sheer heft (it weighs nearly 10 pounds!). 

The first section of the book includes different euphemisms for euthanasia, the agents used, the process, and the most common reasons why owners decide to surrender their pets. The thick middle section is pink, the color of the lethal agent that is administered via injection to end a pet’s life. Each page contains the personally identifiable information for the 54 pets euthanatized that day. This information is logged by hand by the person responsible for the procedure, accumulating in a massive record of the procedures undertaken in one year. The final section proposes a solution to the dilemma by encouraging readers to adopt these pets, citing the myriad health benefits of interacting with and owning dogs and cats.