Being a bit of a softie I dont like the thought of killing any animal (though Id never go without a bacon butty of course!), but pests obviously need to be dealt with and the grey can be a pest. Totally agree however that the method of killing should be as quick as posssible to avoid any unnnecessary suffering. As someone once told me in the pet trade when having to get rid of those animals who were too sick, thats why all small animals have tails and all pet shops a brick wall. Smashing the heads against said wall may be quick but is now, of course, illegal so that to dispose of the sickly mice/hamsters etc youve bought for 50p you now have to take them to the vet for a lethal injection and a yellow bag disposal at whatever the cost is now.
ps-anyone up for a philosophical debate as to HOW animals feel pain ie us humans have a concept of "self"
,sort of "I think therefore I am" to quote Descartes, so when we feel pain we recognize it as harm being done to our "self". But do animals-even the smart ones like dolphins-have that concept? Do they simply "experience" pain or do they too recognize that it is happening to "them"? Ah well, just a thought... :-/