Charity Speaks Out Over Animal Gas Chamber Euthanasia
Published on August 18, 2010 by K9 Magazine News Editor · 3 CommentsThe American Humane Association, the nation’s voice for the protection of children and animals, commends Lake County Sheriff Robert A. Hilts and Senior Animal Control Officer Amy Bush for their decision to end the use of a carbon monoxide gas chamber for euthanizing animals at the Lake County Animal Shelter in Baldwin, Mich.
To support Lake County with implementing this decision, American Humane has awarded the shelter a $1,600 grant to make the transition to euthanasia by injection (EBI), which American Humane considers to be the only humane and acceptable means of euthanasia for shelter animals. The grant will cover the costs of permanently removing the shelter’s gas chamber, as well as the costs for the initial supplies and equipment to perform EBI. The shelter is working to make the transition in the next 60 days.
“American Humane encourages adoption and spay/neuter to reduce pet overpopulation and thus reduce the rate of euthanasia,” said Dori Villalon, American Humane’s vice president of Animal Protection. “However, we recognize that euthanasia can be necessary, such as when an animal is suffering or cannot be adopted. But we believe that the use of gas chambers is an outdated and unnecessary method. We applaud Lake County for its decision to stop this practice, and we strongly encourage the remaining nine counties and one township in Michigan that still use gas chambers to follow Lake County’s lead and take advantage of an American Humane grant to transition to EBI.”
In 2009, American Humane launched an intensive legislative initiative to ban gas chambers in animal shelters. Currently, American Humane is continuing its efforts in Michigan to achieve the passage of House Bills 6042 and 6043, which state that all Michigan animal shelters and Class B dealers (laboratory animal brokers) may not euthanize cats and dogs by any method other than EBI. The bills, drafted by American Humane with assistance from the State Bar of Michigan Animal Law Section, are sponsored by Reps. Rick Jones and Fred Miller.
For more information about American Humane’s work to ban gas chambers, visit www.americanhumane.org/stopgassing.
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It is about time those cruel and outdated methods of euthanacia were banned another truly cruel method is what is refered to as heartstick. please condenm and ban this extremely cruel and inhumane method of euthanacia. Incidently euthanacia means peaceful sleep not murder like the above mentioned.
The gas chambers should have been left behind in world war two. I thought America were supposed to be enlightened? The same applies to Electrocution and heartstick, all of which cause terrifying and painful death. We owe Mans Best Friend rather more than this I think!!
There are a handful of animal control officers in Michigan, fighting to keep gas chambers in their shelters. Why are they able to keep their jobs?? Why aren’t they following the National Animal Control Association guidelines for shelter cat and dog euthanasia? It should be noted that, Mecosta and Gratiot County Animal Shelters use Carbon Dioxide and allow pets at the shelter to be sold by class-b random source research dealers; for personal profit.