How to Stop Animal Gassing in Shelters
74STOP GASSING ANIMALS
Euthanizing shelter animals by carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide is
inhumane and it is also harmful to humans. American Humane considers
euthanasia by injection (EBI) to be the only acceptable and humane
means of euthanasia for all shelter animals. Although, many will argue that killing an
innocent animal is ever humane!
Most shelter workers wish to hold and comfort a frightened animal in its final moments of life. That act may be the only kindness the animal has ever known. In contrast, even with vigilant oversight, euthanizing any animal by means of a carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide gas chamber is inhumane to all animals, especially medium and large dogs, and is demoralizing to the shelter workers. Such outdated and cruel practices also create a public outcry and demean the very purpose of an animal shelter.
A Michigan gas chamber.
It is a national tragedy that 3 to 4 million shelter animals must be euthanized every year. Until a solution is reached, the final moments for these animals must be humane.
Banning Gas Chambers: A Fight You Can Help Us Win
Currently, only nine states have officially banned all forms of gassing for all types of animals in shelters: Delaware, Illinois, Maine, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming. Starting in 2009, American Humane launched an intensive legislative initiative to ban gas chambers in animal shelters and will continue in this work until the gassing ends.
To help our efforts, American Humane recently commissioned a study comparing the cost of EBI and gas chambers that proves EBI is less costly to communities. Using data from an animal sheltering organization, the study shows that the cost to use carbon monoxide poisoning is $4.98 per animal. The cost to use EBI, however, is only $2.29 per animal.
What Can You Do?
If you live in a state that still allows gas chamber euthanasia, you can do the following:
- Contact your local shelter to determine its euthanasia practice. If the shelter uses gas, politely ask the shelter director and your county commissioners to transition to EBI.
- Start a petition to send to your county commissioners, calling for your local shelter to transition to EBI.
- Involve the local media to drum up additional community support for a transition.
- Talk to one of American Humane’s EBI trainers to gain a better understanding of the technique and the training that is available to euthanasia technicians. Contact training@americanhumane.org.
- Share American Humane’s resources with the shelter, and let shelter management know that American Humane is available as a resource in transitioning to EBI.
- Contact your state legislators -- particularly if you are in a county that uses the gas chamber -- and gauge their interest in sponsoring a gas chamber ban bill. Contact American Humane’s Office of Public Policy at publicpolicy@americanhumane.org if you need assistance.
AN ANIMAL GAS CHAMBER
ANIMAL EUTHANASIA BOOKS
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Dirty politics in the Lansing senate are about to kill legislation that would stop michigan animal shelters from giving your dogs and cats to Class B Research Brokers who then sell them for big bucks [ a practice known as "pound seizure"] and another set of bills that would end the use of the gas chamber as a way to "euthanize" shelter animals.
Legislation that already passed the House and went through one hearing in the Senate Committee on Regulatory Reform with overwhelming support and should have been sent to the Senate floor for a vote two months ago. . .before they decided it 'really belonged' in the Senate Agricultural Committee and sent it on its way to a certain death in a political shell game designed to make sure it could not get passed before it runs out of time on December 15th.
You're quick action and loud voice for those who can only suffer in silence is the only thing that will save this legislation from certain death by politics. Act Now !
Its true ! House Bill 4663 (to end pound seizure) passed the Michigan House of Representatives almost unanimously__this past JULY with 78 Yeas and only 20 Nays ! [House vote #353 7/28/2010] Then HB 6042/6043 (to end gas chamber euthanasia) followed suit in September, again, with overwhelming support, 91 Yeas and 14 Nays.{House vote #400 on 9/22/2010]
From there the bill to ban the Class B Brokers from our shelters went into the Senate Committee on Regulatory Reform. The committee eventually held a hearing on it Sept 15th and heard overwhelmingly supportive testimony. They should have voted then to send the bill on to the whole Senate for a vote.
But no, the day before everyone in Lansing went home to campaign until after the November elections, the Senate Committee on Regulatory reform suddenly "did not feel it understood the implications of Class B Dealer Pound Seizure and that the Agriculture Committee was better equipped to take on the issue." and promptly kicked it over to the Senate Agricultural Committee to begin the committee process all over again, hearing and all.
Meanwhile, the bills to end gassing arrived in the Senate Agricultural Committee on Sept 23, 2010. And there it sits. Now joined by the bill to ban the brokers.
The dirty politics became abundantly clear this week when staff for Senator Gerald VanWoerkom, Chairman of the Senate Agricultural Committee, confirmed that Senator VanWoerkom would not hold any more hearings on any legislation this year.
Mind you, these bills need to undergo a hearing by the Senate Agricultural Committee, receive committee approval, go back to the full Senate and be passed----before December 9th, 2010 or they die in committee, never to be seen again!
No wonder there was only one person testifying for the brokers at the Sept hearing. They had a back room deal already in place to ensure that the thousands of residents,animal care professionals and business people who wanted these bills to pass would be thwarted in their efforts by this committee shell game.
Don't let it happen! The Senate Agricultural Committee needs to hear from you and all your friends. NOW. Write, call, email or fax your voice to them in care of Chairman Senator VanWoerkom.
P.O. Box 30036 Lansing, MI 48909-7536
Phone: 517-373-1635
Fax 517-373-3300
SenGVanWoerkom@senate.michigan.gov
Don't worry about a flowery message. All you have to say is the voters of Michigan want an end to the inhumane practice of gassing shelter animals to death and we do not want Class B Brokers enriching themselves at the expense of homeless pets who should find safety in Michigan shelters, help to find their owners or new homes, not a lifetime sentence of pain and suffering or a slow, agonizing death in some research facility.
Tell them to get HB4663 and HB 6042/6043 a hearing and get them to the full Senate for a vote___before December 9th. It should have been done before they took their campaign season vacation and it MUST be done now.
For more information, answers to the opposition, real life stories of Michigan owners who lost their pets only to find too late that they'd been sold into research, visit the website of Voiceless - MI
http://www.voiceless-mi.org/pound-seizure-2/ and learn how to speak for those who can not speak for themselves.
Pass it on ! Share this on your Facebook page and send it to every Michigan animal- lover you know
Sherri - thank you so much for your update and comment! I will sent an email and a letter and pass this information on immediately. Thank you! this is very important and valuable information to have and share!!
I thought this awful practice died out, along with Hitler! So sad that it hasn't.. :*(
You would think so, right? Hard to believe such barbaric practices still take place.
Micky Dee Level 4 Commenter 20 months ago
I'm with you Hippi-herbivore person you! God bless you Girl!