Mutilating Ashley: from parenthood to pet ownership

Diogenes at Off the Record has some biting commentary about the case, and a touching photo, of Ashley Peters, the mentally disabled nine-year-old whose parents have had various surgeries done to prevent her from becoming more difficult to care for as she grows older. Understandable though their motives may be, what her parents have done is mutilate a child for their own future convenience. Not that they would care, but the CCC (§2296) condemns that. Is this still another disturbing precedent for the future, or just an anomaly?

I hope the latter and resign myself to the former.