Randy Grim on CBS regarding the GAS CHAMBER!! Crosspost! OFF TOPIC 05/12/06

 
http://www.cbs46.com/Global/story.asp?S=4888493

Let's help ACOs, (animal control officers and shelter workers), have a more positive job by getting rid of

gas chambers by calling our state, county and city officials to use humane injection:

"Yes, I Gas Dogs and Cats for a Living.
I'm an Animal Control officer in a very small town in central North Carolina.
I'm in my mid thirties, and have been working for the town in different positions since high school.

There is not much work here, and working for the county provides good pay and benefits for a person like me without a higher education.  I'm the person you all write about how horrible I am.

I'm the one that gasses the dogs and cats and makes them suffer.  I'm the one that pulls their dead corpses out smelling of Carbon Monoxide and throws them into green plastic bags.  But I'm also the one that hates my job and hates what I have to do.

First off, all you people out there that judge me, don't. God is judging me, and I know I'm going to Hell.  Yes, I'm going to hell. I wont lie, it's despicable, cold, cruel and I feel like a serial killer.  I'm not all to blame, if the law would mandate spay and neuter, lots of these dogs and cats wouldn't be here for me to gas.  I'm the devil, I know it, but I want you people to see that there is another side to me the devil Gas Chamber man.
The shelter usually gasses on Friday morning. 

Friday's are the day that most people look forward to, this is the day that I hate, and wish that time will stand still on Thursday night.  Thursday night, late, after nobody's around, my friend and I go through a fast food line, and buy 50 dollars worth of cheeseburgers and fries, and chicken.  I'm not allowed to feed the dogs on Thursday, for I'm told that they will make a mess in the gas chamber, and why waste the food.
So, Thursday night, with the lights still closed, I go into the saddest room that anyone can every imagine, and let all the doomed dogs out out their cages.

I have never been bit, and in all my years doing this, the dogs have never fought over the food.  My buddy and I, open each wrapper of cheeseburger and chicken sandwich, and feed them to the skinny, starving dogs.  They swallow the food so fast, that I don't believe they even taste it.  There tails are wagging, and some don't even go for the food, they roll on their backs wanting a scratch on their bellys.  They start running, jumping and kissing me and my buddy.  They go back to their food, and come back to us.  All their eyes are on us with such trust and hope, and their tails wag so fast, that I have come out with black and blues on my thighs.. They devour the food, then it's time for them to devour some love and peace.  My buddy and I sit down on the dirty, pee stained concrete floor, and we let the dogs jump on us.  They lick us, they put their butts in the air to play, and they play with each other.  Some lick each other, but most are glued on me and my buddy. 

I look into the eyes of each dog. I give each dog a name.
They will not die without a name.
I give each dog 5 minutes of unconditional love and touch.
I talk to them, and tell them that I'm so sorry that tomorrow they will die a gruesome, long, torturous death at the hands of me in the gas chamber.
Some tilt their heads to try to understand.
I tell them, that they will be in a better place, and I beg them not to hate me.
I tell them that I know I'm going to hell, but they will all be playing with all the dogs and cats in heaven.
After about 30 minutes, I take each dog individually, into their feces filled concrete jail cell, and pet them and scratch them under their chins.
Some give me their paw, and I just want to die. I just want to die.
I close the jail cell on each dog, and ask them to forgive me.
As my buddy and I are walking out, we watch as every dog
is smiling at us and them don't even move their heads.
They will sleep, with a full belly, and a false sense of security.
As we walk out of the doomed dog room, my buddy and I go to the cat room.
We take our box, and put the very friendly kittens and pregnant cats in our box.
The shelter doesn't keep tabs on the cats, like they do the dogs.
As I hand pick which cats are going to make it out, I feel like I'm playing God, deciding whose going to live and die.
We take the cats into my truck, and put them on blankets in the back.
Usually, as soon as we start to drive away, there are purring cats sitting on our necks or rubbing against us.
My buddy and I take our one way two hour trip to a county that is very wealthy and they use injection to kill animals.
We go to exclusive neighborhoods, and let one or two cats out at a time.
They don't want to run, they want to stay with us. We shoo them away, which makes me feel sad.
I tell them that these rich people will adopt them, and if worse comes to worse and they do get put down, they will be put down with a painless needle being cradled by a loving veterinarian.
After the last cat is free, we drive back to our town.
It's about 5 in the morning now, about two hours until I have to gas my best friends.
I go home, take a shower, take my 4 anti-anxiety pills and drive to work.. I don't eat, I can't eat.
It's now time, to put these animals in the gas chamber. I put my ear plugs in, and when I go to the collect the dogs, the dogs are so excited to see me, that they jump up to kiss me and think they are going to play.
I put them in the rolling cage and take them to the gas chamber. They know. They just know. They can smell the death.. They can smell the fear.
They start whimpering, the second I put them in the box.
The boss tells me to squeeze in as many as I can to save on gas.
He watches. He knows I hate him, he knows I hate my job.
I do as I'm told. He watches until all the dogs, and cats (thrown in together) are fighting and screaming. The sounds is very muffled to me because of my ear plugs.
He walks out, I turn the gas on, and walk out.

I walk out as fast as I can.  I walk into the bathroom, and I take a pin and draw blood from my hand.  Why? The pain and blood takes my brain off of what I just did.
In 40 minutes, I have to go back and unload the dead animals.  I pray that none survived, which happens when I overstuff the chamber.  I pull them out with thick gloves, and the smell of carbon monoxide makes me sick.  So does the vomit and blood, and all the bowel movements.  I pull them out, put them in plastic bags.

They are in heaven now, I tell myself.  I then start cleaning up the mess, the mess, that YOU PEOPLE are creating by not spay or neutering your animals.  The mess that YOU PEOPLE are creating by not demanding that a vet come in and do this humanely. You ARE THE TAXPAYERS, DEMAND that this practice STOP!

So, don't call me the monster, the devil, the gasser, call the politicians, the shelter directors, and the county people the devil. Heck, call the governor, tell him to make it stop.

As usual, I will take sleeping pills tonight to drown out the screams I heard in the past, before I discovered the ear plugs.  I will jump and twitch in my sleep, and I believe I'm starting to hallucinate. 

This is my life.  Don't judge me. Believe me, I judge myself enough. "

 


 

Animal Advocates Call 'Gas Chambers' Inhumane
May 12, 2006 08:33 AM EDT
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Miracle Dog: How Quentin Survived the Gas Chamber to Speak for Animals on Death Row a new book by animal-welfare advocate Randy Grim tells the story of Quentin (pictured), the Basenji mix that survived the gas chamber at a Missouri pound.
Miracle Dog: How Quentin Survived the Gas Chamber to Speak for Animals on Death Row—a new book by animal-welfare advocate Randy Grim—tells the story of Quentin (pictured), the Basenji mix that survived the gas chamber at a Missouri pound.
 
 
Clayton Kill Shelter
 
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(CBS 46 News) --- Public records indicate Metro shelters kill nearly 87-thousand dogs and cats each year.    

Of the animals taken in...   Cobb County shelters kill 44.7%. Gwinnett 51.3%. Fulton 52.1%. DeKalb, much higher. 78.9%. That's nearly four out of five... killed. 

Several grass roots organizations are taking issue with how many are killed... And 'how' it's being done.

 Randy Grim runs two no-kill shelters in St. Louis. Even he knows animal control means killing unwanted animals. But, he calls carbon monoxide chambers "inhumane."

Grim says, "...look through a little window, and I could see the fighting, the yelling, the screaming, and one dog having seizures and blood coming out of his nose -- horrible." 

   Animal Lover Erin Dougherty agrees. She's appalled that Clayton County gases animals several times every week. "It reminded me of World War II and I just thought that it was a travesty."

   Randy's buddy is Quentin, a lively Basenji mix who somehow survived the gas chamber. Grim says, "When they opened up the gas chamber, everyone was dead. There were eight dogs. And Quentin was standing on top of a mound of dead dogs, wagging his tail, unphased. " 

   Now, they tour the country, delivering checks to grass roots organizations. Death Row Dogs will use Randy's five-thousand dollars to rescue 20-dogs. Everyone here knows, it's not enough.

   Grim says " We've made so many positive changes in St. Louis, and I'm trying to understand why isn't there progress being made here."

    Dekalb County pet lovers put CEO Vernon Jones in the dog house this week, angrily "booing" him over the county's animal control record.  

Death Row Dogs' Beth Martin says Jones is actually one of the only officials doing something to help pets. But, she says, "Georgia needs to have a strong spay and neuter program that's publicized statewide."

 Beyond that, people meeting Wednesday at Barking Hound Village on Cheshire Bridge Road say GAS chambers are no cheaper than hiring a vet to administer humane, lethal injections. Martin insists, "It's a matter of compassion. It's a matter of awareness and compassion. It's not money."
 

 
Death row Dog
 
Several grass roots organizations are taking issue on how many dogs are killed and how it's done.
 

 

If you wish to know everything that has been written about Gas Chambers without having to read through all the articles below,

Here it is summarized: (If Lethal Injection, also called IV or EBI, is less expensive,  and more efficient, and Gas Chamber, also called CO Chambers, less efficient and humane, and  hazardous to personnel, according to the AHA, HSUS and AVMA, NIOSH then why are some states still using Gas Chambers?

Headlines:

Animal Gas Chambers Draw Fire in U.S.
Maryann Mott
for National Geographic News
April 11, 2005

"Doug Fakkema, an animal-euthanasia expert, said that, in theory, the gas chamber doesn't sound bad, but in reality it's awful.
"The animal is in a warm or hot box, usually with other animals. They don't know what's going on. The hiss of the gas is going on inside. They get dizzy, and they panic," he said. Fights can break out, and animals' calls can sometimes be heard.
Today most private and city animal shelters euthanize animals with sodium pentobarbital, a controlled substance that is injected into one of a dog or cat's veins. Animals die in seconds, experts say, and without pain or suffering." "Currently 13 states, including California, Florida, and New York, require animal shelters to perform death by injection, according to the AHA.
In the rural farming community of Enoch, Utah, the animal shelter's brick gas chamber uses carbon monoxide exhaust from an old pickup truck."

From Animal Issues, Volume 32 Number 2, Summer 2001

"The euthanasia method of choice for use in animal shelters is the injection of an overdose of a barbiturate anesthetic called sodium pentobarbital. In API's view, it is the only acceptable method of euthanizing shelter animals." "This method is the most cost-effective and overall least expensive of all euthanasia techniques (according to the Michigan Humane Society, the cost of lethal injection, materials and labor is $2.88 per animal). It does require adequate staff training, and because each animal is handled individually, it is somewhat more emotionally taxing to workers than mass euthanasia methods. The injection process allows shelter staff to provide personal comfort to each animal in its last moments, which may greatly offset the emotional stress. Five states (CA,FL, ME, OR, PA) specify lethal injection (usually of a barbiturate) as the only allowable method of euthanasia, and similar laws are currently being considered in Tennessee and Rhode Island. About 20 states specifically allow lethal injection." " California banned the use of CO gas chambers for euthanasia effective January 1, 2001. Many injection givers initially resisted the change, because injection requires two workers and extended physical contact with the animal, but once they understood the process, they realized it is better for the animal, and actually less stressful for them." "Gas chambers have many limitations which make the method less practical, slower, more dangerous to staff (a shelter worker died of CO poisoning just last year), and ultimately more expensive than lethal injection. Abuse of the chamber is common. While shelter policies commonly require physical separation in individual cages and close observation of the process, in many cases animals are simply shoved into the chamber, the door sealed, the button pushed, and the employee walks away." "Ronald R. Grier and Tom L. Colvin's 1990 Euthanasia Guide for Animal Shelters recommends that all animals should be tranquilized before placement in the chamber -- something that is virtually never done in practice."

Recent Cases:
* "Vermilion Parish, LA. Animals are still euthanized by a regular 6-cylinder gasoline engine that pumps acrid exhaust gas into the small room where they are confined. Even though the gas is pumped through water to cool it a little, the fumes are still hot, irritating, and painful. Their skin and eyes burning, the animals die slowly and horribly." "A shelter should be there to care for animals, to relieve suffering -- not amplify or prolong it. An animal may have already suffered greatly prior to ending up at a shelter, and the unfamiliarity, confinement, and noise of the shelter environment is extremely stressful in and of itself. Therefore, we have an obligation to ensure that needless suffering is not that animal's tragic end to life."


* "Albuquerque, NM. An audit by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) found many serious problems with the care of animals at the two city shelters. The audit team was so alarmed at the conditions that they issued a preliminary report blasting the treatment of animals. HSUS representatives found that dogs were killed by painful direct injections to the heart while conscious, a practice that even the lenient AVMA guidelines condemns as inhumane."

* "At least one community has had a major wake-up call. In Greensboro, NC, frustrated
Sheriff BJ Barnes, upset at learning that more than 75% of the animals entering his shelter were being killed, decided to televise the euthanasia of a dog on his weekly show. Viewers were shocked, but they also got the message: animal overpopulation is everyone's problem.
Adoptions from the local shelter skyrocketed, and local veterinarians
reported an increase in inquiries about spaying and neutering."

"The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recommends the injection of sodium pentobarbital, prepared specifically for use as a euthanasia product, as the preferred agent for the euthanasia of companion animals. This method, when properly performed, has been found to be the most humane, safest, least stressful, and most professional choice by The HSUS, The American Humane Association, and the American Veterinary Medical Association." "Carbon Monoxide  (CO), when delivered in a properly manufactured and equipped chamber, is a conditionally acceptable method of euthanasia for some animals; however, The HSUS believes it is far less suitable than sodium pentobarbital. The many limitations of CO make the method less practical, considerably slower, and more expensive than lethal injection. Animals under four months of age have shown a resistance to hypoxia (oxygen deficiency). It is absolutely unacceptable to use CO for the euthanasia of dogs and cats who are old, under four months of age, sick, or injured. Because of these limitations, there must always be an acceptable backup method readily available." "Carbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide (CO2) is not acceptable for routine use in animal care and control facilities for the euthanasia of companion animals. However, a commercially manufactured chamber using compressed cylinder CO2 may be acceptable for certain wildlife species. CO2 produced from dry ice or generated from any other method is condemned." "CO must be provided by compressed cylinder gas, be used only in a chamber that has been commercially manufactured for CO euthanasia, and be properly maintained. The chamber must be designed to minimize stress and to allow for the appropriate separation of animals. Chambers must never be overcrowded." Copyright © 1999 The Humane Society of the United States. All rights reserved.


AVMA PANEL 2000/2001 RECOMMENDATIONS: JAVMA, Vol 218, No. 5, March 1, 2001 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia 677

(Per the Animal Issue in 2001: "The report was revised in 2000; unfortunately, the updated version has significant problems, but nevertheless was passed and published by the AVMA, primarily through the force of will of a single individual who ramrodded it through -- over the reservations of the committee that produced it, as well as the unanimous disapproval of the organization's main governing body. The report fails to address the inappropriateness of CO for animals under 16 weeks of age, and sick, pregnant, injured, or old animals. In spite of the report's own statement that CO2 "may be distressing" especially to cats, it is included as an acceptable method of feline euthanasia."

Per HSUS ( Most recent statement): "HSUS considers the use of CO to be conditionally acceptable as long as certain criteria are followed. However, the many restrictions of this method make it nearly impossible for any shelter that uses the method to comply with recommendations, (HSUS or AVMA, for that matter)."

Per Jenny of Animal Shelter Reform May 2005: "the AVMA's Report on Euthanasia from 2000 was
really not written for shelters, and therefore is not practical in most shelter settings." "laws have passed since 2001 , following pressure by HSUS, local humane groups and concerned individuals and the death of a Chattanooga ACO from CO exposure."
 

AVMA PANEL 2000/2001 RECOMMENDATIONS:  JAVMA, Vol 218, No. 5, March 1, 2001 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia 677    (Summarized:)

 
ANIMAL BEHAVIORAL CONSIDERATIONS 
The need to minimize animal distress, including 
fear, anxiety, and apprehension, must be considered in 
determining the method of euthanasia. Gentle restraint 
(preferably in a familiar and safe environment), careful 
handling, and talking during euthanasia often have a 
calming effect on animals that are used to being handled. 
Sedation and/or anesthesia may assist in achieving 
the best conditions for euthanasia. 
(1) ability to induce loss of 
consciousness and death without causing pain, distress, 
anxiety, or apprehension;.

 

 
I. NONINHALANT PHARMACEUTICAL 
AGENTS 
The use of injectable euthanasia agents is the most 
rapid and reliable method of performing euthanasia. It 
is the most desirable method when it can be performed 
without causing fear or distress in the animal.

 

Recommendations—The advantages of using barbiturates 
for euthanasia in small animals far outweigh 
the disadvantages. Intravenous injection of a barbituric 
acid derivative is the preferred method for euthanasia 
of dogs, cats, other small animals, and horses. 
 
Intracardiac injection is acceptable 
only when performed on heavily sedated, anesthetized, 
or comatose animals.  [ ALSO KNOWN AS HEART STICKING AS DONE TO ALL ANIMALS IN OREM ANIMAL SHELTER TO DATE]
 
 
 
II. INHALANT AGENTS 
...chambers should not be overcrowded.
Disadvantages—(1) Animals may struggle and 
become anxious during induction of anesthesia 
because anesthetic vapors may be irritating and can 
induce excitement. ...
animals may become distressed prior to loss of 
consciousness. 
Animals placed together in chambers should be of the 
same species, and, if needed, should be restrained so 
that they will not hurt themselves or others. Chambers 
should not be overloaded and need to be kept clean to 
minimize odors that might distress animals subsequently 
euthanatized.
 
Any gas that is inhaled must reach a certain concentration 
in the alveoli before it can be effective; 
therefore, euthanasia with any of these 
agents takes some time. The suitability 
of a particular agent 
depends on whether an animal experiences distress 
between the time it begins to inhale the agent and the 
time it loses consciousness
Leaky or faulty equipment may lead to 
slow, distressful death and be hazardous to other animals 
and to personnel.
Personnel using CO must be instructed thoroughly in its use and 
must understand its hazards and limitations; (2) the 
CO chamber must be of the highest quality construction 
and should allow for separation of individual 
animals; (3) the CO source and chamber must be 
located in a well-ventilated environment, preferably 
out of doors; (4) the chamber must be well lit and 
have view ports that allow personnel direct observation 
of animals; 
For cats, inhalation of 60% CO2 
results in loss of consciousness within 45 seconds, and 
respiratory arrest within 5 minutes.
Several investigators have suggested that inhalation 
of high concentrations of CO2 may be distressing 
to animals,63-66 because the gas dissolves in moisture on 
the nasal mucosa.
Carbon monoxide is extremely hazardous for personnel 
because it is highly toxic and difficult to detect. 
Chronic exposure to low concentrations of carbon monoxide 
may be a health hazard, especially with regard to cardiovascular 
disease and teratogenic effects.
Subsequent studies have revealed that tranquilization with acepromazine 
significantly decreases behavioral and physiologic 
responses of dogs euthanatized with CO.97.
[THIS IS NOT DONE IN NORTHERN UTAH COUNTY SHELTER] 
In a study evaluating the physiologic and behavioral 
characteristics of dogs exposed to 6% CO in air, 
Chalifoux and Dallaire95 could not determine the precise 
time of loss of consciousness. Electroencephalographic 
recordings revealed 20 to 25 seconds of 
abnormal cortical function prior to loss of consciousness. 
It was during this period that the dogs became 
agitated and vocalized.
Loss of consciousness is preceded 
by hypoxemia and ventilatory stimulation, 
which may be distressing to the animal.
In one dog, ECG activity continued for 51 minutes. 
Tranquilization with acepromazine, in conjunction 
with N2 euthanasia of dogs
Regardless of flow rate, signs of panic and distress were 
evident.  
Although all dogs 
hyperventilated prior to loss of consciousness, the 
investigators concluded that this method induced 
death without pain. Following loss of consciousness, 
vocalization, gasping, convulsions, and muscular 
tremors developed in some dogs. At the end of a 5minute 
exposure period, all dogs were dead.

 NIOSH, National Institure for Occupational Safety and Health, May 2004 Report noted several other health and safety deficiencies to the staff with the CO Gas Chambers in animal shelter. There were no confined space entry procedures. Respiratory protection was not available. Operating procedures were undefined. There was no hazard communication program.

 Summaries done by Utah Gas Chamber Committee

 

Health Hazard Evaluations

 

HHE Search Results

HHE Report Information

Link to PDF
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2004-0123-2939.pdf
HHE Number
HETA-2004-0123-2939
Title
Health hazard evaluation report, HETA 2004-0123-2939, City of Liberal Animal Shelter, Liberal, Kansas
Author
McCammon-J
Abstract
In February 2004, the City of Liberal, Kansas, asked the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for help in evaluating carbon monoxide (CO) exposures of employees that operate two euthanasia chambers at the city-run animal shelter. The Kansas Animal Health Department suspended use of the unvented chambers during a licensing inspection. The City requested NIOSH assistance in measuring employee CO exposure during operation of the chambers and modifying the chambers so that they could be again be used in a manner that would be acceptable to the Kansas Animal Health Department. In March 2004, NIOSH responded to the request by using direct-reading monitors to measure CO near the two chambers and in the breathing zone of workers that operated the empty chambers specifically for this investigation. (Operation of the chamber for this investigation was authorized by the licensing organization.) Past and present employees were interviewed about methods used to operate the chambers and symptoms experienced when the chambers were operated. NIOSH also gathered the following information: (1) details about the death of a Tennessee animal shelter worker during operation of a similar chamber; (2) the extent of use of CO euthanasia chambers across the United States; (3) policies and guidelines of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and the National Animal Control Association (NACA) related to the appropriate use of CO for euthanasia in animal shelters; and (4) classification of such chambers as a "confined space" by NIOSH and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). When CO was introduced into the chamber, CO concentrations near the chamber rapidly exceed the NIOSH ceiling limit of 200 parts per million (ppm). The NIOSH Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health value of 1,200 ppm was exceeded in one instance. Peak CO concentrations in the general area during CO introduction were 800 ppm to 950 ppm, and greater than 1,200 ppm (the maximum range of the sampling instruments). Slowing the delivery rate of CO resulted in much lower concentrations near the chamber. When the chambers were opened, CO concentrations in the general area of the chambers ranged from 400 ppm to >1,200 ppm for several minutes. CO concentrations inside the chambers remained above 1,200 for an undetermined length of time. Employee exposures during this investigation were impacted by the fact that normal tasks were not conducted, and also that employees appropriately removed themselves from exposure when their CO monitors alerted them to the severity of the hazard. During two occasions of chamber operation, employees were exposed to maximum CO concentrations of 380 ppm and 945 ppm before they were able to move to safer locations. NIOSH noted several other health and safety deficiencies. There were no confined space entry procedures. Respiratory protection was not available. Operating procedures were undefined. There was no hazard communication program. There was no program for employee training. There were no warning signs related to the CO hazard. There was no emergency action plan. The employer had not assessed the workplace to determine if hazards were present. The NIOSH investigator concluded that the use of homemade CO chambers, such as the one investigated here, presents an unacceptable health risk to animal shelter employees. Suggestions for reducing this risk are included in the Recommendations section of this report. Modification of the existing chambers was not an acceptable control method, and thus no recommendations were provided in that regard.

Vicki Katrinak in our Government Affairs dept. asked me to contact you regarding euthanasia laws and methods, and the HSUS Statement on Euthanasia. We are in the process of finalizing our current statement on euthanasia, which includes a detailed summary of euthanasia methods and direct licensing laws. It should be available for public access in the next month and I will be happy to send it to you when it is available.
In the meantime, I will provide you with our general stance on the issue. I don't know what charts Vicki has sent you so I attached several.

Providing a humane death is one of the most critical responsibilities of those in the animal care and sheltering field. By "humane" we mean that every euthanasia must result in painless unconsciousness, followed by respiratory, then cardiac arrest, and then death.

There are many factors in considering euthanasia methods, including the number and types of animals handled, the number of employees available, the training available for euthanasia personnel, and legal limitations.
Shelter management should evaluate euthanasia procedures frequently to ensure that animals are being handled properly, and that staff is competent, compassionate, and properly trained.

We recommend the intravenous (IV) injection of sodium pentobarbital as the preferred agent for the euthanasia of dogs and cats. This method, when properly performed, has been found to be the most humane, safest, least stressful, and most professional choice by The HSUS, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, American Humane Association, and the National Animal Control Association.

Sodium pentobarbital is a Schedule II barbiturate, which means it is a federally controlled substance; it can only be purchased using a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration and order form, and is subject to federal security and record-keeping requirements. Its use is carefully controlled by state laws and regulations.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an unacceptable method of euthanasia where sodium pentobarbital can be legally obtained by shelters. The many limitations of CO make the method less practical, considerably slower, and more expensive than lethal injection. For those states where shelters cannot legally obtain and adminster sodium pentobarbital, The HSUS considers the use of CO a conditionally acceptable method of euthanasia for some animals when delivered by a commercially manufactured and properly equipped chamber. Only cool bottled, commercial-grade gas must be used; engine or chemically-generated gas is not acceptable due to impurities and heat, which make its use painful and inhumane. The HSUS urges all agencies currently using CO to partner with a local vet who can perform euthanasia by injection and to contact your legislators to inform them of the need for direct licensing.

It is always unacceptable to use CO for the euthanasia of old, sick, or injured animals. They may have poor blood pressure or weak hearts, which may delay the effects of CO, causing them to experience distress prior to unconsciousness. Animals under the age of four months may not have the lung capacity to inhale enough CO to be effective. In pregnant animals, it is likely that the mother will die from exposure to CO before the unborn puppies/kittens. Consequently, it is possible that the puppies/kittens will die as a result of the mother's death (by suffocating to death) rather than from exposure to CO.

There are health risks posed by CO for staff involved in its use and they should be educated on safety measures.

The HSUS is actively working to change state laws to allow access to sodium pentobarbital through direct licensing. The HSUS offers euthanasia and compassion fatigue training around the country and has published an instructional book on euthanasia entitled The HSUS Euthanasia Training Manual. The manual covers euthanasia methods for a variety of animal species including wildlife. To order the manual, please send $22.95 (including shipping and handling) to The HSUS, 2100 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20037; call (202) 452-1100; or order online at www.AnimalSheltering.org .

To see the Carbon Monoxide vs. Sodium Pentobarbital Cost Analysis Worksheet please visit www.animalsheltering.org  or reference Table 14.1 in The HSUS Euthanasia Training Manual.
To see the May 2004 investigation of CO exposures related to the use of CO euthanasia chambers by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention go to www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/hhesearch.html .

I hope this information is helpful to you.

Thanks,

Cory

Cory Smith
Program Manager, Animal Sheltering Issues Humane Society of the United States 2100 L St NW, Washington DC 20037
(301) 258-3132
fax (301) 258-3081
casmith@hsus.org
www.AnimalSheltering.org


(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/)  

National Geographic News

 

NEWS

Front Page > Animals & Nature

Animal Gas Chambers Draw Fire in U.S.

Maryann Mott
for National Geographic News

April 11, 2005

When animal-shelter employee Rosemary Ficken opened the door to the St. Louis pound's gas chamber one August day in 2003, she couldn't believe her eyes: A reddish brown mutt, standing on top of six dead dogs, was still alive.

In the shelter's 64 year history, no dog had ever survived the chamber's noxious fumes.

Unwilling to close the door and re-gas the dog, Ficken called Randy Grim, the founder of Stray Rescue of St. Louis. The Missouri organization rescues abused and neglected animals, restores them to health, and places them in new homes.

Grim retrieved the big-eared Basenji mix and named him Quentin after California's San Quentin prison.

Quentin's life was spared that day, but many others are not so lucky. Nearly four million dogs and cats in the United States are put to death in shelters each year.

Carbon monoxide gas chambers—a euthanasia method used since World War II—are routinely used in animal shelters throughout the country, including Rhode Island, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia.

The American Veterinary Medical Association—whose euthanasia guidelines are widely followed—considers carbon monoxide gassing an acceptable method when done in a properly manufactured and equipped chamber. Many animal-welfare advocates, though, say the method is inhumane.

"It's America's dirty little secret," said Grim, who has written the book Miracle Dog: How Quentin Survived the Gas Chamber to Speak for Animals on Death Row (Alpine Publishing). "If people actually saw the gas chamber working, they would sign a petition tomorrow to ban it."

Due to Grim's fundraising and lobbying efforts, the St. Louis gas chamber shut down in January of this year.

The Euthanasia Process

From start to finish, the process of gassing an animal takes about 25 minutes. One or more animals are placed in an airtight chamber, and a high concentration of bottled carbon monoxide gas is released.

Cats and dogs are rendered unconscious within a minute, then eventually die from lack of oxygen.

Doug Fakkema, an animal-euthanasia expert, said that, in theory, the gas chamber doesn't sound bad, but in reality it's awful.

"The animal is in a warm or hot box, usually with other animals. They don't know what's going on. The hiss of the gas is going on inside. They get dizzy, and they panic," he said. Fights can break out, and animals' calls can sometimes be heard.

Today most private and city animal shelters euthanize animals with sodium pentobarbital, a controlled substance that is injected into one of a dog or cat's veins. Animals die in seconds, experts say, and without pain or suffering.

Private-practice animal hospitals also use sodium pentobarbital to euthanize sick and old family pets.

The American Humane Association (AHA), an animal- and child-welfare nonprofit, says that lethal injection is the only acceptable method for putting down dogs and cats.

Currently 13 states, including California, Florida, and New York, require animal shelters to perform death by injection, according to the AHA.

In the rural farming community of Enoch, Utah, the animal shelter's brick gas chamber uses carbon monoxide exhaust from an old pickup truck.

The city was heavily criticized for its method by animal welfare organizations in 2002. To put the controversy to rest, the city hired a veterinarian to perform a necropsy on a 50-pound (23-kilogram) dog euthanized in the shelter's gas chamber.

His report found that there was no evidence of heat injury to the dog's respiratory tract. No mouth or foot abrasions were found, indicating the dog did not try to escape.

Enoch's animal-control officer, Jim Mitchell, said the shelter will soon use bottled carbon monoxide gas, because a newly constructed addition to the shelter is blocking the truck's access to the chamber.

The shelter, however, will not switch to sodium pentobarbital, Mitchell said. "Unless you have an actual veterinarian on site to administer and supervise the process, in my mind euthanization by injection is inhumane."

Mitchell explained that only aggressive dogs are put down at the Enoch shelter, adding that the animals would have to be held with a control stick while a lethal injection was administered to their muscle or chest cavity. (A control stick is a metal pole with a wire loop that tightens around an animal's neck.)

He also noted that the massive overdose of barbiturates may take as long as 20 to 30 minutes to take effect if injected into a dog's chest, during which time a dog would be stressed and possibly have convulsions.

Injecting sodium pentobarbital into an animals muscle or chest cavity, however, is not an acceptable practice, according to the American Veterinary Medical Associations Euthanasia Report released in 2000.

Aggressive or fearful animals should be sedated prior to intravenous (within the vein) administration of the drug, the report states.

Proper Training Urged

Jodi Buckman, director of animal-protection services for the American Humane Association, said training shelter workers on proper euthanasia techniques is important.

"We want them to be the most humane people in our communities, because they are taking care of the homeless animals that no one else has taken responsibility for," she said.

Currently four states—Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, and Nebraska—require special training for workers who use lethal injection to euthanize animals.

Animal welfare advocates say euthanasia rates are on the decline. Experts attribute the decline in large part to aggressive spay and neuter programs initiated by shelters and humane societies.

In some parts of the United States, adoptable animals are now even in demand.

To cover the shortfall, volunteers drive to areas where a severe overpopulation still exists, then take dogs and cats to cities seeking adoptable pets.

The retail giant PETsMART recently built a custom bus specifically for this purpose. The Rescue Waggin' program will save more than 4,000 pets annually, the company says.

"Probably within ten years the only animals that will still have to be euthanized are those suffering, health-wise, or [those] that are too dangerous to adopt out," Fakkema, the euthanasia expert, said.

 

 

Miracle Dog: How Quentin Survived the Gas Chamber to Speak for Animals on Death Row—a new book by animal-welfare advocate Randy Grim—tells the story of Quentin (pictured), the Basenji mix that survived the gas chamber at a Missouri pound.

Photograph courtesy Randy Grim

 

 
 
___________________________________________________________-
From Animal Issues, Volume 32 Number 2, Summer 2001

 

Euthanasia and the Animal Shelter

By Jean Hofve, DVM

More than 12 million cats and dogs enter U.S. shelters annually, an endless tide of incoming animals. Few of these animals will be reclaimed, and many shelters lack space to keep even most adoptable animals. Of lost cats that end up in shelters, only 2% will be returned to their homes. Dogs have it better, because they are more likely to be wearing rabies or identification tags, but even so only 16% will be reclaimed. On average,only about 1/3 of animals put up for adoption at shelters will actually find homes. For the rest, euthanasia. "Euthanasia" literally means "good death," and is usually interpreted to mean a quick, painless, and humane method of dying. It seems self-evident that death should also be in the best interests of the animal. The decision to euthanize a sick, dangerous, or otherwise unadoptable animal is relatively uncomplicated to make. However, millions of healthy, friendly animals also end up in shelters. They are adoptable -- but there are just not enoughhomes available for all of them. It is the task of shelters to select those who will be placed in the adoption kennels. Animals who have been in the adoptionkennel too long, and all the rest who never had the chance, are taken to the euthanasia room.

Methods

The euthanasia method of choice for use in animal shelters is the injection of an overdose of a barbiturate anesthetic called sodium pentobarbital. In API's view, it is the only acceptable method of euthanizing shelter animals. When injected into a vein, this drug produces rapid unconsciousness and death without the pain and distress that accompany all other methods. For cats, kittens, puppies, and other small mammals, a direct injection into the abdominal cavity is also acceptable, though not as rapid or reliable as the intravenous route. This method is the most cost-effective and overall least expensive of all euthanasia techniques (according to the Michigan Humane Society, the cost of lethal injection, materials and labor is $2.88 per animal). It does require adequate staff training, and because each animal is handled individually, it is somewhat more emotionally taxing to workers than mass euthanasia methods. The injection process allows shelter staff to provide personal comfort to each animal in its last moments, which may greatly offset the emotional stress. Five states (CA,FL, ME, OR, PA) specify lethal injection (usually of a barbiturate) as the only allowable method of euthanasia, and similar laws are currently being considered in Tennessee and Rhode Island. About 20 states specifically allow lethal injection.

Shelters employ a number of other "euthanasia" methods. One common method is the gas chamber. Either carbon monoxide (CO) or carbon dioxide (CO2) is generally used, though some still use nitrogen gas. California banned the use of CO gas chambers for euthanasia effective January 1, 2001. Many injection givers initially resisted the change, because injection requires two workers and extended physical contact with the animal, but once they understood the process, they realized it is better for the animal, and actually less stressful for them. For some animals, the gentle touch of a shelter worker during the euthanasia processmay be the only real affection they have ever had. The lethal injection technique allows the worker to comfort the animal and experience closure of the death process.  Three states (AZ, SC, TN) specifically allow nitrogen gas, and three (OK, SC, TN) allow carbon monoxide; all of these states also allow lethal injection, with gas as an alternate method. Gas chambers have many limitations which make the method less practical, slower, more dangerous to staff (a shelter worker died of CO poisoning just last year), and ultimately more expensive than lethal injection. Abuse of the chamber is common. While shelter policies commonly require physical separation in individual cages and close observation of the process, in many cases animals are simply shoved into the chamber, the door sealed, the button pushed, and the employee walks away. The sponsor of the bill in Tennessee that would mandate lethal injection said of the gas chamber that it "results in a slow, painful death." Ronald R. Grier and Tom L. Colvin's 1990 Euthanasia Guide for Animal Shelters recommends that all animals should be tranquilized before placement in the chamber -- something that is virtually never done in practice.

Three states (DE, OK, TN) allow chloroform for animals under 8 weeks of age (young animals up to 4 months old are resistant to gas euthanasia). Eleven states defer to a higher authority, such as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the state veterinary board (OH), or the state veterinarian (VA), or provide standards for humane death (IA, NH, ND, RI, SC, WA). One state (SC) allows shooting (in emergencies). Only one state (AZ) allows the use of T-61, a drug that is considered unacceptable by AVMA because it immobilizes and suffocates the animal without causing unconsciousness, resulting in pain and distress. Twenty-five states have banned the use of "high altitude" decompression chambers, which were used extensively in the 1950s and 1960s, but were subsequently deemed to be cruel.The Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia is used as a reference by hundreds of shelters around the country, and four states (GA, KS, MO, NY) mandate using only methods considered acceptable in this report. The report was revised in 2000; unfortunately, the updated version has significant problems, but nevertheless was passed and published by the AVMA, primarily through the force of will of a single individual who ramrodded it through -- over the reservations of the committee that produced it, as well as the unanimous disapproval of the organization's main governing body. The report fails to address the inappropriateness of CO for animals under 16 weeks of age, and sick, pregnant, injured, or old animals. In spite of the report's own statement that CO2 "may be distressing" especially to cats, it is included as an acceptable method of feline euthanasia. Suffocating birds by pressing on their chests is referred to as "apparently painless." Kill-traps, which rarely function properly even under controlled laboratory conditions and are indiscriminate killers of any animal that gets caught in them, are promoted as "practical and effective" for wildlife. And electrocution is considered "conditionally acceptable" for dogs.

Wide Disparity

Across the country, there is wide disparity among shelters and their methods and application of euthanasia. Problems stemming from inadequate training, insufficient funding, indifference to animal suffering, and failure to recognize the need to change and update procedures, are found everywhere, from small rural shelters to large city facilities.

The urgent need for a consensus on humane euthanasia is graphically illustrated by the following recent cases:

  • Rogers, AR. Lack of funding, lack of training, and lack of equipment were blamed for four years
  • of "euthanizing" feral cats, skunks, raccoons, opossums, and other wild animals by drowning.
  • Trapped animals were left in their cages and simply dropped into a plastic 55-gallon barrel
  •  (which was purchased for that purpose in 1996) filled with water. The shelter's employees
  • were told by the director that drowning was humane and legal -- it's neither. No charges were
  • filed, but the practice was stopped as soon as the mayor found out about it. The shelter now
  •  uses lethal injection.
  • Long Hill, NJ. A kennel owner admitted using an illegal drug to kill more than 600 animals in
  • 1998 and almost 300 in 1999. The powerful muscle-relaxing drug, succinylcholine chloride,
  • was banned in 1988 for euthanasia in New Jersey. This drug essentially paralyzes the animal,
  • including the diaphragm and breathing muscles, but has no effect on consciousness -- the terrified
  •  animal is fully aware that he cannot breathe, and helplessly suffocates to death. Numerous other
  •  violations were found by inspectors on several surprise visits, including failure to hold animals for
  •  the required length of time before killing them, and neglecting to provide veterinary care to a dog
  •  with a broken leg. Additionally, more than 300 cats were killed by injections directly into the heart --
  • which is not only stressful but acutely painful. The kennel owner was fined $18,715.
  • Vermilion Parish, LA. Animals are still euthanized by a regular 6-cylinder gasoline engine that pumps
  •  acrid exhaust gas into the small room where they are confined. Even though the gas is pumped through
  •  water to cool it a little, the fumes are still hot, irritating, and painful. Their skin and eyes burning,
  • the animals die slowly and horribly. Animal protection groups have been trying since 1992 to get
  • the shelter to change to a more humane method of euthanasia, but in spite of lawsuits and letters,
  •  the parish remains resistant to voluntarily changing its ways.
  • Albuquerque, NM. An audit by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) found many
  • serious problems with the care of animals at the two city shelters. The audit team was so alarmed
  •  at the conditions that they issued a preliminary report blasting the treatment of animals. HSUS
  • representatives found that dogs were killed by painful direct injections to the heart while conscious
  • , a practice that even the lenient AVMA guidelines condemns as inhumane. Animals were restrained
  •  (and sometimes lifted) with a "catch" or "control" pole (a long-handled pole with a coated wire
  • noose at one end that is placed around the animal's neck and tightened), allegedly to prevent
  •  injury to staff members. However, the audit team concluded that it was more likely due to lack
  •  of training, as well as an apparent lack of concern for the comfort, anxiety, and needs of the
  •  animals being euthanized. The report states, "The HSUS did not witness any instance where
  •  an animal was held or comforted for a gentle death." Worst of all, the HSUS team found that
  •  seven animals were still alive (their hearts were beating) after they were placed in the freezer.
  •  The Albuquerque shelters euthanize about 18,000 animals annually -- 75% of the animals that
  •  come through their doors. (For comparison, San Francisco's euthanasia rate is about 17%.)
  • Sacramento, CA. As it had in Albuquerque, word got out about the poor conditions at the
  • Sacramento City animal shelter. The HSUS was brought in to assess the shelter and make
  •  recommendations. Consultants found "most staff displaying a lack of concern for an animal's
  •  anxiety level, pain response, and overall well-being," as well as an obvious lack of training.
  • Supervision was extremely poor in many areas. Shelter personnel never scanned animals
  •  for microchips before killing them, refused to use tranquilizers for fractious animals (relying
  • instead on brute physical force to restrain them), killed dogs in full view of live dogs awaiting
  • euthanasia, and committed many other violations of shelter policy. A chloroform chamber used
  • to kill small animals was used improperly. A live newborn kitten was put into the chamber with
  • six dead kittens who had been killed the day before. The following day, a live pigeon was
  • placed in the chamber with the seven dead kittens. An HSUS team member finally asked a
  • supervisor to check the chamber, at which time he removed the dead animals -- four days
  • after the first six kittens died in it. Unlike Albuquerque, however, Sacramento immediately
  •  began to remedy the deficits, and has made an effort to be responsive to the report findings
  •  as well as to the concerned citizens in the community.

Not all the news is bad, of course. At least one community has had a major wake-up call. In Greensboro, NC, frustrated

Sheriff BJ Barnes, upset at learning that more than 75% of the animals entering his shelterwere being killed,

decided to televise the euthanasia of a dog on his weekly show.

Viewers were shocked, but they also got the message: animal overpopulation is everyone's problem.

Adoptions from the local shelter skyrocketed, and local veterinarians

reported an increase in inquiries about spaying and neutering.

And cities like San Francisco, where municipal animal control and the SPCA are working together to

make sure that every adoptable animal gets a good chance for a home, have set a wonderful example

for other agencies.

The Last Stop

The local shelter is too often the last stop for a dog or cat. Shelters have been put into this unenviable

 position by the irresponsible breeding of far too many animals. Puppy mills, pet stores, backyard

breeders, "responsible" hobby and show breeders, people who simply won't, don't bother, or "forget"

 to have their animals spayed or neutered, pet food companies who subsidize breeders with free

samples and discount coupons, and the cat and dog breed "clubs" that encourage breeding -- all

contribute to this massive problem. It is a sad fact that, when a human being chooses to create a

 relationship with another living being, then fails to live up to the responsibilities that go with that

 relationship, we allow the human to walk away guilt-free -- it is always the animal who pays 100%

 of the price for the human's errors.

We often hear "responsible" breeders complain that the real problem is the irresponsible owners,

backyard breeders, and puppy mills. And there's no doubt that those are huge problems. Puppy mills

 around the country contribute thousands of puppies to pet overpopulation every year. According to a

1999 issue of the Pet Products News Buying Guide, a pet store trade publication, "Livestock sales of

dogs rose a healthy 35.6 percent in 1998." Sales generated from these puppies shot to $33.6 million

 in 1998, compared to $15.2 million in 1996.

But let's take a closer look at those "responsible" breeders. They generally advertise in a few well-known

 national magazines, or on their own websites. In one issue of one cat magazine there are individual listings

 for about 700 breeders; and a similar number in a comparable dog publication. If each of those breeders

 produces only three litters per year (an extremely conservative estimate), with an average of 6 per litter,

 those breeders are putting out more than 25,000 puppies and kittens per year. The American Kennel Club

 registered nearly 1,175,500 puppies in 2000; the Cat Fanciers Association registered about 107,000 kittens

 from 13,951 active breeders.

Whether they admit it or deny it, the truth is that each and every person who -- accidentally or purposely --

 produces even one more puppy or kitten is part of the problem. We all have to work together to solve it --

 nobody can be exempt. Until pet overpopulation is controlled, 8-10 million cats and dogs will be killed this

 year, and every year, in U.S. shelters. (And this shocking figure doesn't include countless thousands of

animals who never make it to the shelter, but are abandoned to live and die on the streets or in the country.)

The good news is that pet overpopulation is on the decline. However, projections suggest it will be another

 twenty-five years before we end it; and that's only possible with continued hard work, dedication, and public

education. We are making progress, but this is in spite of people who continue to breed and industries that

support breeding. If those who are creating the problem would take full responsibility, we could reach the

ultimate goal -- to eliminate the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals -- much faster.

A shelter should be there to care for animals, to relieve suffering -- not amplify or prolong it. An animal may

 have already suffered greatly prior to ending up at a shelter, and the unfamiliarity, confinement, and noise

of the shelter environment is extremely stressful in and of itself. Therefore, we have an obligation to ensure

 that needless suffering is not that animal's tragic end to life.

Special thanks to Jerry Elmore Layne and Nicole Paquette for their extensive research and generous assistance.


The Witness

By Jerry Elmore Layne (of Animals Have

 Hearts, Too!)

A personal transformation took over my life in 1988, when I was a witness, through a small porthole window,

of an animal shelter gas chamber doing its savage business.

Two of the employees began pulling and tugging larger dogs toward the chamber -- this, in itself, was savage.

 The eyes of the dogs were full of fear as they were shoved into a large cylinder with another six dogs, all types.

 Next, five puppies were placed in the chamber.

Noise. Yelling. Fighting. All scared, they shivered again and again, their eyes huge, their nostrils flaring.

They were completely bewildered. One dog in the chamber, a male chow mix about one year old, started

 snapping at the puppies. All the dogs and puppies were in a desperate struggle, and the gassing had yet

to begin.

Then a button was pushed, and the two employees walked away as the chamber machine began pumping

out streams of carbon monoxide. The little puppies started to paw at the glass window. After one full minute

 they started to whine and then produced a piercing squeal. Then the larger dogs started a high, mournful

 wailing, then a deeper howl that rose in great desperation for 45 seconds.

That morning of my witness, the time from inception of hell for the dogs and puppies, to the completion

 of their cries of desperation, was between two and six minutes.

As the employees walked away, I knew it was my love, my honor, my devotion to animals that I must not

blink and watch every second, every animal struggle to avoid death. However, tears from my heart did

 overwhelm me that tragic morning, and the final insult was having to load the bodies of the dogs and

 puppies into a pickup truck and haul them to a local garbage dump.


The Human Toll

Shelter workers must daily confront the need to euthanize many healthy, friendly, adoptable animals. They

 must accept these animals from the public, listen to the flimsy excuses for relinquishment ("I'm moving,"

 "I got new furniture," "My boyfriend doesn't like him"), smile politely, and swallow the words that they must

so often want to shout -- "This animal trusts you! This animal loves you! You have a responsibility here! How

can you abandon him?" Having accepted these unwanted animals, shelter workers must feed, brush, walk,

care for, and get to know them for three or five or seven days, and then, except for those few that have been

 adopted, they must take them into a small, barren room and kill them.

How do shelter workers cope with their duties that, on one hand, require them to care deeply for the animals

 they work with, yet on the other hand, require them to release that attachment when the animal is either adopted

 or euthanized?

Research has shown that new shelter workers tend to become very attached to certain animals, whose

 subsequent death was terribly distressing. Over time, workers learn to keep a certain impersonal distance

 between themselves and the animals, seeing them as more of "a population of refugees" than as individuals,

 as pets. Those who are responsible for euthanasia concentrated on the mechanics of the act, becoming

 proficient at killing so that they can gain some satisfaction for making the death as quick and painless as

 possible. They may compensate by becoming more involved in foster programs, education about spay/neuter,

 or other means of increasing adoptions and reducing the numbers of incoming animals. They must all make

a special effort to control their feelings of frustration, anger, and hostility in order to interact appropriately with

 co-workers and the public.

Shelter workers also learn to see euthanasia as a means of preventing suffering. Death becomes a better

 alternative than other fates that could befall the animals -- starving to death, contracting a serious disease,

 or being abandoned, injured, predated upon, poisoned, sold to a research lab, abused in an unhappy home,

or used as target practice or as bait for fighting dogs.

Understandably, shelter workers sometimes transfer their frustration and anger onto the people who brought

the animals in, and blame them as the ones who behaved wrongly or immorally toward the animals. They

 see the public as "the enemy." One shelter worker said, "People think we are murderers, but they are the

 ones that have put us in this position." And certainly much of the problem does lie with the throwaway attitude

of society, the irresponsible people who fail to spay and neuter, who let their animals run loose. This attitude

 does not necessarily make it easy for animals to be adopted out, as some shelter workers see all people

in the same tainted light, and they have trouble trusting potential adopters.

One thing shelter workers should not do is to separate themselves so much from the euthanasia act that they

 become apathetic. Carter Luke, a consultant with the Massachusetts SPCA, says, "I don't consider uncaring

people effective. If you become too comfortable with euthanasia so that it doesn't affect you, you've lost an edge.

Because euthanasia is not an acceptable solution to pet overpopulation. We should always see it as something

we abhor, and wish to get rid of or at least minimize. We should never become comfortable with euthanasia."

While shelter workers eventually learn to cope with the stress of euthanasia, they all experience uneasiness

 at certain times, or at a low but constant level. Spring and summer -- when large numbers of animals,

especially kittens, come into the shelters -- are especially difficult. "Some days we can be euthanizing all

 morning and you look at the pile of animals that nobody wants and it hurts." But then they remember the

 ones who lived, the ones who found wonderful homes. It is sometimes a dirty job, but it does have its rewards.


Kentucky Shelter Litigation

By Sheila Hughes Rodriguez

On July 10, 2000, API, In Defense of Animals, the Trixie Foundation, and 19 other Kentucky plaintiffs sued the

Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture and 70 counties for failure to protect and regulate dogs throughout the

 state (The Trixie Foundation, et al. v. Billy Ray Smith, Commissioner, et al., No. 00CI-00792). The case

 is best summarized in plaintiffs' pleadings: "Kentucky dog pounds come in two forms: (1) non-existent or (2)

 so pitifully inhumane as to be worse than non-existent."

The plaintiffs in this class action law suit are seeking to compel the defendants to maintain a dog pound,

 employ a dog warden, and humanely euthanize dogs, obligations which Kentucky officials have blatantly

 ignored for nearly half a century. In fact, there is evidence that several counties have permitted various

 forms of euthanasia which are not only inhumane but barbaric.

On January 11 and March 6, 2001, the plaintiffs responded to defendants' motions to have the case

dismissed on various grounds, namely venue. A ruling on these motions is expected soon.

Since the filing of the law suit, at least two counties have taken steps to improve conditions, including

seeking grant money to build a new shelter and appointing a new dog pound operator.

Katie Marie Brophy, a Louisville attorney known for her work on behalf of animals, is representing the

plaintiffs pro bono in this case.

Correspondence RE: Utah County, Utah Gas Chamber Committee
 
We have overnighted to you the information you requested regarding euthanasia by the intravenous (IV) and intraperitoneal (IP) routes. As noted in previous correspondence, the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Panel on Euthanasia states that the use of intracardiac (IC) injections is acceptable only in unconscious, comatose or anesthetized animals.

We have sent a copy of the Humane Society of the United States’ “Euthanasia Training Manual” for your reference and review. It is an excellent resource for establishing a humane and safe euthanasia protocol.

Per our discussion last Friday, a safe and humane euthanasia program would follow these guidelines:

·       The drug used for euthanasia is sodium pentobarbital.
·       Euthanasia of handleable cats, kittens, and pups under about 10 pounds require two staff members. One person holds the animal, preferably on a steady table, in a safe manner and comforts/distracts them. The other person administers the IP injection of sodium pentobarbital into the abdomen (about ½ - 1 inch behind the umbilicus on the midline and angled slightly towards the head) by inserting the needle and drawing back – if blood or urine is aspirated, the needle must be withdrawn and inserted again. If no fluid is aspirated, the person injects. The animal is then placed in a quiet, covered/darkened cage or crate (if the crate or cage is in the euthanasia room, a towel should be placed over the cage/crate.) The IP dose is three times the IV/IC dose, or normally 3 ml’s per each 10 pounds of body weight. More details and illustrations of proper restraint and the IP technique are found in the HSUS Manual on pages 46-47 and pages 95-98.

·       Feral cats can often be euthanized by an IP injection of sodium pentobarbital up through the bottom of a live trap. If the cat must be held as a stray or quarantined for any reason and has been placed in a cage, the use of a squeeze cage, shield, etc., to maneuver the cat to the back of the cage to allow for an IP injection is best. After injection, as above, staff should cover the trap/cage with a towel and try to keep the area quiet. As above, the dosage is at least 3 ml’s per 10 pounds of body weight. Feral or aggressive cats may be given a pre-euthanasia drug (xylazine-ketamine combination or telazol) injection intramuscularly (IM) via a trap, squeeze cage, etc. Photos on pages 58, 64, and 68 of the HSUS Manual illustrate some of these methods.

·       Handleable dogs should be euthanized with one person holding the dog for safety and to comfort him, while the other person injects sodium pentobarbital IV.

·       There is normally no need to clip the dog’s hair unless the vein cannot be seen or felt. It often helps to wet the skin in that area with water to see the vein. Upon injection, the animal will become unconscious quickly, often immediately. This method is often faster than the IC method because IC injections actually place the drug into the animals’ lungs, resulting in a delayed and very painful death. The IV dose is the same as the IC dose. IV injection is explained in detail in the HSUS Manual on pages 42-46 and 81-94.

·       Aggressive dogs can be anesthetized first with an injection of xylazine-ketamine combination or Telazol IM. The use of xylazine alone to sedate has unpredictable results and is not recommended. Once the dog is adequately sedated or anesthetized, staff can proceed with the sodium pentobarbital IV injection as detailed above. Pre-euthanasia medications are discussed in the HSUS Manual on pages 67-80.

·       If and only if an animal is fully unconscious, comatose or anesthetized (using the xylazine-ketamine combo IM, or Telazol IM), can IC injections be performed. Intracardiac injection is explained on pages 47-48 and 99-101 of the HSUS Manual.

·       After an animal has been injected IV or, if anesthetized first, IC, they should be removed from the room and laid out individually and out of sight of other animals, so that they can be checked to ensure that death has occurred (no bagging or putting in freezers, dumpsters, etc., until death had been absolutely determined.) Determination of death is explained in the HSUS Manual on pages 111-114.

·       Animals should not watch other animals be euthanized or see the bodies of other animals.  These and other considerations are addressed on pages 21-22 of the HSUS Manual.

My attempt to reach you yesterday was unsuccessful. I wanted to discuss two ideas with you that could immediately stop the suffering of those animals at the Orem shelter who continue to be killed by injection directly into the heart while conscious. Implementing either of these procedures would provide a safe and humane death for those animals who, sadly, must be euthanized, while allowing you time to review this information and revise the euthanasia procedures at the Orem shelter. These are the two ideas we would like you to consider for immediate implementation:

  1. Arranging for a local veterinarian to euthanize the animals using the IV (IP when appropriate) methods. We would be willing to help you locate a vet and to help pay for their services (we would have to discuss methods of euthanasia with the vet in question in advance).

 

 OR

  1. Contacting local vets to obtain an acceptable pre-euthanasia medication (xylazine-ketamine combo or Telazol) which can be given IM. Once and only once anesthesia has been confirmed, the animals may be euthanized by sodium pentobarbital IC. We are willing to do whatever we can to assist in that process as well.

 

Please contact me today at 804-693-9208 to let us know how we can help your shelter to immediately stop killings animals in an unacceptable and inhumane manner, and start euthanizing safely and compassionately.

Thank you for your willingness to find a better way for the animals and the staff at your shelter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Tonya Higgins, DVM, Animal Sheltering Advisor

757-622-7382    ext. 8015 or 804-693-9208

tonyah@peta.org

Fax: 757-628-0796



Copied to us from Former ANimal Shelter Director:
 
 
From: Suebgone@aol.com [mailto:Suebgone@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 6:11 PM
 

cc: Utah County Gas Chamber Committee
Subject: re: new job

 

Dear Lt. Conner:  I am sure you have your hands full right now & it sounds like you have already addressed some pressing issues.
 
I read your thoughts on the cost involved with euthanasia by injection & would like to relate some facts to you from experience. 

I am relatively sure you will be getting actual costs from others so I won't address that part.

 
I retired from a shelter that I founded.  We had 2/3rds of the county's animals coming there under contract which meant we had

 to do a lot of euthanasia.  Most of the time I was there alone & much of it was done by me, alone. I always used a tranquilizer

 first. Cats were tranq'd in a trap, then removed to euth.  For small/medium dogs I used a wire crate that was fitted with a squeeze

 board  For a larger dog I could give the anesthesia while I had it pushed against something with my leg.  For nasty dogs we had

a dart gun or I waited until I had help. 

 
Fatal Plus was designed for shelters & is very inexpensive.  I used it in the powder form which gets mixed with water. 
 
None of this is easy on your staff but I truly believe that euthanasia by injection is far superior in cost, stress & all around morale. 

 There is training available from national humane societies.  

 
I hope you will give this a closer look & decide not to use the dangerous, inhumane gas chamber for your animals.  If I can be of

any assistance to you please do not hesitate to write to me. 

 
Sincerely
Susan W. Mowry
 
_______________________________________
From: HSUS
 
You might want to consider updating the info that is distributed to the 
county officials. Specifically, HSUS considers the use of CO to be 
conditionally acceptable as long as certain criteria are followed. However, the many 
restrictions of this method make it nearly impossible for any 
shelter that uses the method to comply with recommendations
 (HSUS or AVMA, for that matter).
 Humane euthanasia by injection, when properly administered by
 caring, trained staff, is the 
preferred method. The most recent statement on CO usage can be
 found at www.animalsheltering.org.
 Go to "Shelter Library" and click on Euthanasia. The AVMA's statement
 can be found at their Web site
 (which is what most counties and state laws refer to, unfortunately--
and I say that because the AVMA's Report on Euthanasia from 2000 was 
really not written for shelters, 
and therefore is not practical in most shelter settings).

Additionally, the article below contains numerous outdated statements 
with regard to state euthanasia laws.
 I'll use TN as an
example: the article incorrectly states that certain methods are allowed, 
when in fact laws have passed
 since 2001 (I assume that's when the article was written), following
 pressure by HSUS, local humane groups
 and concerned individuals and the death of a Chattanooga ACO from CO
 exposure. Humane euthanasia is required,
 as is the certification of technicians. Also, many states do allow 
for shooting in field emergencies (not just one state).
 The following section contains some inaccuracies as well:

> Three states (DE, OK, TN) allow chloroform for animals under 8
weeks of age (young animals up to 4 months old are resistant to gas
 euthanasia). Eleven > states defer to a higher authority,
 such as the American Veterinary Medical > Association (AVMA), the
 state veterinary board (OH), or the state > veterinarian 
(VA), or provide standards for humane death (IA, NH, ND, RI,> SC, WA).
 One state (SC) allows shooting (in emergencies). Only one state >
 (AZ) allows the use of T-61, a drug that is considered unacceptable by AVMA
> because it immobilizes and suffocates the animal without causing 
> unconsciousness, resulting in pain and distress. Twenty-five
states have > banned the use of "high altitude" decompression chambers,
 which were used > extensively in the 1950s and 
1960s, but were subsequently deemed to be > cruel. > The Report of the
 AVMA Panel on Euthanasia is used as a reference
 by > hundreds of shelters around the country, and four states (GA, KS, MO, NY)
> mandate using only methods considered acceptable in this report. 

Not trying to be critical, but thought you might want to do a little more
 research in this area to ensure the 
information presented is the most recent. For more info on laws pertaining
 to euthanasia, you may want to 
contact Vicki Katrinak at HSUS Government Affairs, vkatrinak@hsus.org.

Hope this is helpful.

__________________________________________________________

I hope it will help you. I am so for a peacefull exit for these
animals. About 7 years ago , it was all out war here, All in th newspapers
on the news. I was right in the middle of it. But  things have changed. It
was worth all the mud.  Do not stop. Keep up a good fight. Gas chambers need
to be outlawed.
Debbie Lowery
Southern Paws Rescue
Vicksburg, Miss.
www.southernpawsrescue.com
a 501(c)3 non-profit

My staff over the course of the  past year and a half, have had more issues with having to inject the animals and have them flop around and die. One employee was having nightmares over that. We can go back and forth on this issue, but it is stressful no matter what procedure, to hold or deal with putting any animal down. We will look at your issues, but realize we have to operate the shelter as a business and do so in the most economical way and most efficient way. I am appreciative of you input though.

>>> <Suebgone@aol.com> 5/18/05 8:30 AM >>>
 
Thanks for your reply but I must clear up a misunderstanding.  When I referred to the "stress"factor I meant when using the gas chamber.  I just can't imagine putting animals into that box & having to hear them screaming.  Also the time it takes for them to die is a great deal longer than by injection. 
I must also confess, that I did with all that were not feral or nasty, take them out & hold them until the anesthesia took hold.  That is very comforting to the animal & the staff.
Of course any euthanasia is troublesome to those doing it.  You are killing things that you love, but doing it by injection is by far less traumatic to all concerned. 
 
Sincerely
 
Sue Mowry

From the November-December 2000 Issue of Animal Sheltering Magazine
AVMA Recommends Unacceptable Methods
The HSUS calls new report on euthanasia "a step backward"

"Kill traps"like the one that crushed the body of this cat do not
meet the AVMA's own definitions of euthanasia, yet they are included
among recommended methods in the latest Panel on Euthanasia report.
© Alvina Pitches
Martinsville-Henry County SPCA

For several decades, public and private animal shelters have looked
to the American Veterinary Medical Association to provide expert
advice on euthanasia methods. The AVMA's Panel on Euthanasia report,
revised every seven years, has added powerful clout to animal
protectionists lobbying for better laws.

That's why The HSUS and other animal advocates were dismayed by the
inclusion of inhumane methods in the most recent update of the 1993
panel report. Issued in June, the report is already in the final
stages despite a unanimous rejection by the AVMA's own House of
Delegates.

The HSUS submitted a lengthy document detailing the problems
presented by the updated version. Primary among the concerns was the
fact that many of the recommended methods are a far cry from meeting
the true definition of euthanasia as a "good death."Because some
state and local laws prescribe that euthanasia be administered in
accordance with AVMA guidelines, The HSUS fears the updated report
could serve as justification for inhumane practices. Specific
problems in the panel report include:

Past reports have stated that gunshot is not an appropriate method
for routine animal care and control situations, but the latest draft
omits this admonishment. The HSUS is concerned that the removal of
this statement could open the door for some animal care and control
agencies to consider gunshot a viable method for routine, non-
emergency killing of animals.

The new report calls thoracic compression—or manual suffocation—
"apparently painless."The HSUS believes this statement is not based
in scientific fact. The report also says the "level of distress is
unknown"; such uncertainties should rule out the method entirely.
Thoracic compression does not ensure the death of an animal, and in
some cases, the animal may resuscitate.

The report alludes to "kill traps"—or traps that crush the animal's
body—with a vague interpretation of how the devices should be used
and who should be allowed to use them. Kill traps do not meet the
AVMA's own definition of "euthanasia."The use of kill traps would
result in massive suffering of animals, including non-targeted
species.

The report does not adequately address limitations regarding the use
of carbon monoxide. To ensure a humane death, The HSUS believes that
animals less than 16 weeks old should be euthanized by an injection
of sodium pentobarbital. While the AVMA report says inhalants are
generally inappropriate for animals of this age, it does not make
specific reference to the age factor in its discussion of the use of
carbon monoxide. The report also fails to mention that sick,
pregnant, injured, or old animals must be euthanized with an
injection of sodium pentobarbital, not in carbon monoxide chambers.
Also missing from the carbon monoxide section of the report are
guidelines for ensuring that chambers are not overloaded, warnings
not to place animals of different species into the chambers at the
same time, and advice to use only chambers of commercial
construction.

The report no longer includes the statement found in previous
reports that larger animals such as cats and swine "appear to be
more distressed by carbon dioxide euthanasia; therefore, other
methods are preferable."In fact, carbon dioxide appears on a chart
of acceptable methods for dogs and cats at the end of the latest
document. Again, The HSUS, which deems carbon dioxide an acceptable
method only when used on certain species of wildlife in emergency
field situations, believes no scientific evidence exists to justify
this change. The AVMA report itself references multiple sources that
suggest that "inhalation of high concentrations of carbon dioxide
may be distressing to animals"; that distress factor alone should
rule out carbon dioxide as a method of euthanasia for companion
animals when other, more humane alternatives are available.

While previous reports have mentioned electrocution as an acceptable
method of euthanasia for foxes, sheep, swine, and mink, the updated
report presents electrocution as conditionally acceptable for cats
and dogs as well. The HSUS opposes this practice.
The report is now being internally edited, but the public comment
period is closed. As a result, The HSUS is considering writing its
own definitive guide on acceptable euthanasia methods for the animal
care and control field. "We hope the next time the panel is brought
together, its makeup will better represent the animal care and
control community,"says HSUS Director of Animal Sheltering Issues
Kate Pullen.

_____________________________________________

Hi,
Yes the injection is the only way to do it humanely with no stress to the
animals. I think we owe them at least that much.
I do know that classes are offered for those that can handle it  and even
then it is very hard on the heart. This shelter really needs to look into
it..
The only reason I did it, is because I saw how the animals were hog tied and
then injected inot the chest cavity, It took them a while to die. Horrible.
I was on the war path then.  The correct way is just like if you were to
have your loving pet put to sleep. Held comforted and loved. peaceful.
If I can help in any way let me know.  Things have got to change.

Debbie

From: Jenny Schwade [mailto:jennybird64@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2005 9:45 AM
To: Suebgone@aol.com; DRCTBD@aol.com; fdevynck@comcast.net
Subject: Re: just a suggestion

 
I think these are good suggestions, Sue.  Denise and I spoke by phone last week, and I believe we agree that the information presented must not overwhelm the county officials.  I am sending two euthanasia manuals with easy-to-read guidelines on EBI, so that they can see how it should be done.  This also contains the cost analysis and CO guidelines.  In addition to the manual, I would present them with HSUS guidelines and stay away from emphasizing anything in the AVMA report other than the fact that hey do not recommend placing animals under 4 months in the chamber (that's about the only similarity between AVMA and HSUS guidelines--there is no mention of pregnant, old, sick or injured animals, and their description of an acceptable chamber is very vague).
 
It must also be considered that there is controversy over whether or not current data proves animals are actually in distress the way that "we" view distress.  When they use the term, it is physiologically-based.  Although they may indicate that there is scientific proof that an animal experiences distress, that is NOT the same as stating that the animal experiences pain and suffering.  This has yet to be proven by anyone (e.g., although animals in a chamber will vocalize, so do animals coming in and out of anesthesia--that in itself is not an indication of pain).  If AVMA believed the method to be cruel, it would not be recommended at all in the Report.  The other information that should be provided is any information from shelters who have decided that EBI is a better choice than CO. I am sending Denise a statement from Forsyth County, NC animal control that makes just such a statement.
 
If the reality is that the county refuses to make the change from CO to EBI (and if they do agree to do this, training MUST be implemented, and are they willing to provide this?) then they should be held accountable for ensuring that the current method is done as humanely as possible.  At the very least, they should be following HSUS guidelines, and that means they must have an alternative method such as EBI (done correctly) for the young, old, pregnant, sick and injured.  Basically, in most shelters, the number of inappropriate animals far outweighs those that are considered appropriate candidates for CO. 
 
HSUS has considered following American Humane's lead by opposing the use of CO (and we are in the process of updating our current statement to REALLY emphasize our position that EBI should always be used).  However, consider this--if HSUS completely abolished the CO recommended guidelines, then what would be left?  The AVMA Report would be the only remaining set of guidelines, and obviously that hasn't worked to the animals' benefit at all.
 
I am hoping that Colin Berry in our Northern Rockies Regional Office will be able to assist further in this endeavor.  UT is a long way away from my region!  But I will be happy to help in any way possible.

Out of all of Indiana shelters, we only have 1 that  still gases.

 


From: Suzanne Iovino [mailto:SIovino@slco.org]
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2005 12:39 PM
To: Little Dog Angel 2
Denise,

I will forward your e-mail to Jackie Strasters.  She is our shelter manager and she and her staff are responsible for euthanasia here and she makes sure they are all trained and certified in euthanasia by injection.  I know she is very against the chamber as we all are, but probably she would be the most knowledgeable and articulate as to why euthanasia by injection is better. 

Doug Fakkema used to teach euthanasia by injection.  In fact he's the one who certified most of the 'old' staff here.  He is a very kind and compassionate man and he would be a great resource for this cause if he would be willing to speak to some of the people involved in making the decision.  Please e-mail him and tell him I recommended that you contact him.  His email is Dkfakkema@aol.comddress.

 

I hope this information is helpful and I wish you all the luck in the world with your quest.  To build a brand new shelter and put in a gas chamber is kind of like building a new home with no indoor plumbing.  It just doesn't make sense.  I sure hope they do the right thing. 

Please let me know how things go. 

Take care,

Suzanne

Salt Lake County Animal Shelter

-----Original Message-----
From: AnimalShelterReform@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AnimalShelterReform@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Dawn
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 1:00 PM
To: AnimalShelterReform@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [AnimalShelterReform] Madison Indiana no longer gasses unless rabid

This shelter stopped this procedure in February and seems to be practicing more humane euthanasia and working closely with rescue.
The animals seen on the outside of the building were found on the road except for one that had heart worms that was euthanized by a vet. The incinerator has a key and only the AC officer holds this key so this dog was left outside until he could be disposed of properly.


Dawn

SAD STORY

Hello. My name is "Lost Soul" and I'm a stray mutt mix who was found by an animal control officer when I was trying to find food insomebody's garbage can. I'm starving, skinny and scared. I'm 3 yearsold, and my whole life was spent chained to a tree. My owner movedand just let me run free. I'm not that beautiful. I'm a black labmix like most of the other "prisoners" at the shelter. Most peoplewill pass me by because of my emaciated body and skin problems. Iknow it's time for me to go to heaven and I accept this. I just wishI could die a peaceful death with a shot. But no, I will die in theGAS CHAMBER in Johnston County, NC. I will be put in a box with manyother dogs and locked in. I will be scared and start to cry. I hopenone of the other dogs get mad and start to attack me which is verycommon in this situation. I will start to breathe in the gas and Iwill feel my eyes and mouth burn and I will start howling. I willtake my little nose and put it to the bottom of the grate to try tocatch some fresh air. This isn't working, Oh God, Please Help, Ican't breathe! I'm vomiting, dizzy and starting to black out andconvulse. I hear the other "lost souls" scream and some blood issplattered on me because I'm pawing to get out.. and I cut the padson my paws off. Oh My God this hurts and I'm so scared! I'mwondering why I have to die this way?? All I ever wanted was afamily to love and warm lap to sit on!! Why do convicted murdererson death row get a shot, but I have to die in a GAS CHAMBER? I wishI could die with a shot, with a vet holding me and rubbing my eartelling me everything will be okay. I would die with some dignityand not defecate or urinate on myself. I better give in to the gasand go to heaven now, for if I don't die, they will put me in thegas chamber and do it again. I can't wait to get to heaven and haveall the angels rub my belly and give me kisses.In the meantime,please call Rick Hester the County Manager in Johnston County at919-989-5100 and beg him not to let any other innocent strays die this way.Rick.Hester@mail.co.johnston.nc.us is his Email address if you want towrite him. You can also call or email the county commissioners if youwant. If you don't want to call them, please call the news ornewspapers and tell them that you don't want your tax money used for the GASCHAMBER. Thank you for hearing my story and the next timeyou see a stray in Johnston County, please say a prayer for them,for if they don't get adopted, they will die in the GAS CHAMBER likeme.
 

 

 

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