Please ask Governor Mark Sanford to Ban Animal Gas Chambers in South Carolina

The ONLY acceptable form of euthansia should be a quick and painless overdose of SPB. This should also include banning any intrathoracic or intracardial injections of SPB as this could cause pain, suffering and fear in the animal.

467 Goodale Road
Chesterfield, SC 29709 (843) 623-3585 and all over South Carolina

At least twice a week, at Chesterfield County Animal Shelter, animals were being stuffed into an old, illegal gas chamber. When they protested, they were forced  in with bats and poles.

A volunteer told me of taking one such bat and throwing it in the bushes because she couldn't bare to see it there. It made her sick!  It was replaced by a long pipe the following day. 

 I was told of a puppy, under the age of 4 months, looking out from inside the chamber window, begging to be let out.  One of MANY puppies. Just one of MANY animals. Such a heart breaking sight, the volunteer, a woman named Annanell, still has nightmares.
 
This contraption has so many leaks, the air escapes because of it , causing the animals an extended time of the already excruciating slow suffocation process.

Animals climbing over each other in this box, stuffed to capacity, screaming, crying, begging, terrified. I am told, by everyone who has witnessed it.

Similar story's of gas chamber abuses run rampant all over South Carolina.   

Imagine the terror these animals are feeling, being stuffed into this gas chamber, with a bunch of other dogs. Forced in, fighting to regain their freedom. Fighting each other. How can they possibly get them all in there without extreme force? The answer is, they can't. 

Complete panic and fear, its horrifying for them, such an inhumane way to die. Someone's abandoned pet, once, someones best friend.  All throwaway pets now. Trusting eyes, looking for love and wondering why they were given up on. Why were they thrown away?

Most are now doomed, on death row, unwanted. They are being denied a death of compassion and dignity. These animals, who, could be someones most loyal companion. Could give someone so much unconditional love.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, Carbon monoxide (CO) gas is an unacceptable method of euthanasia. The many limitations of CO make it a less humane, less practical, considerably slower, and more expensive method than lethal injection.  This applies to a legal, up to code, gas chamber.

Imagine how long it takes for the animals to die in an old leaky illegal contraption?  A letter to the editor of the Chronicle newspaper, dated July 28th 2008, , states it was taking up to 4 hours, for these animals to die. Can you imagine...4 hours. It breaks my heart. So they were made aware even back then there were major issues with the gas chamber, and yet, no inspections were done, to make sure its was up to code. They simply just didn't care.

Just throwaway animals. Animals, who have have no voice, to let you know they need help. Everyone of them is screaming out for help, with big trusting eyes. Every one of them is looking to us to stop the abuse. Looking for us to stop them from being shoved into that death box of terror!.

In this particular, under South Carolina Code Laws, section 47-3-410,  Laws are being broken.  Specifically: gas chambers are required to have regular inspections, quarterly to insure no leaks, tight seals. No animals under the age of 4 months are to be gassed. Period!

When I asked the Sherrif yesterday about inspections, he said he had no idea about that "stuff" and deferred me to shelter manager Brian Burke, whom said he had "no idea, if ever, an inspection has done", and to defer to the Sherrif.  Everyone passing the buck.  * it was later learned, from Brian Burch, it had not been inspected in at least 13 years.

Nobody is being made accountable. I was promised by Brian Burk, that he would shut down the gas chamber by Tuesday, 7th Sept, and to start euthanizing the animals humanly. Yet, Sheriff Parker says Oct 1 is the projected date.  

They both agreed, there is a better way to euthanize these animals humanly, and yet neither will answer my calls now. My calling, to make sure the animals are safe forever, from the gas chamber in this facility, as promised by Brian.

Brain Berk stated to me "there would not be another animal  put into that gas chamber." However, why should the Sheriff make the change when the law backs him!  A law, the sheriff and Brian used to condone the use of the rusty old illegal contraption.

Except the law doesn't allow for the gas chamber to be out of code. Used under illegal conditions, this is not euthanasia, this is animal abuse.  I have called for inspections, they are NOW coming!

Without watch dog groups and a state wide ban on gas chambers this practice of inhumanity will continue to go on. Without laws that ban the gas chamber, shelter workers will fall silent, afraid to say anything to help the animals on death row .
 
Afraid of retribution, as in this case of the possibility of losing access to the animals. They turn a blind eye, out of fear. They work overtime to save the ones they can by getting them out of there to rescue groups.

"We understand the logistical issues involved in managing an animal shelter and appreciate the difficulty of the job and the stress experienced by those individuals serving as shelter managers and staff".

However, providing these workers with a more humane and compassionate method of euthanasia will benefit staff morale as well as allow for less suffering of the animals. Additionally, there are less costly alternatives which, in the long run, can save the county money. A quote from the Humane Society".

In one example of the resistance to change. Sheriff Sam Parker, continues to use the gas chamber, citing lack of funding.  He is in charge of this particular shelter. He is responsible for designating the shelters budget or lack of it. He provides inadequate funds for the animal shelter, because the shelter is such a low priority. 

 In this particular situation, lack of funding is hard to understand considering the Sheriff has a fleet of brand new Dodge Chargers, Ford Expeditions, John Deer Gators, a Camouflage  an army truck, Ford 250's, 5 Fema trailers, a tank, yes, a Tank, and at least one Helicopter, and a team of bloodhounds.  

These are just the things, I know of, all for a county of about 43,000 people. Look at their website and see how many people are on the payroll. Look at all the toys these boys have, http://www.chesterfieldsheriff.org/  Check out his website see his Tank, his bloodhounds his helicopter

Pic of sheriff's tank, serioulsy, for a county of under 43,000...hmm
http://www.chesterfieldsheriff.org/images/apc1.BMP     


Yet animals are crammed into pens sometimes 30 at a time which would realistically hold 8-10. The majority waiting to be gassed. 

The sheriff stated in the Link newspaper yesterday, there was a person arrested for misuse of funds meant for the shelter. Who is responsible for the missing $7000.00? Who is responsible to get it paid back. Why are we just now hearing of this, Why was it never published in the newspaper?  Why tell us now when this situation is being exposed?  When funds for the shelter are being questions?   

Why was this news not published when it happened? We need to demand answers. We need to see all accounting for the shelter, from all sources including money taken in by the volunteres. Books need to be opened. People need answers to all these questions and more.

The tax payers need to see what is going. Where is the accountability for making sure funds are returned to the shelter? Funds that can be used to implement a more compassionate euthanisia program. 

He states zero funding for the shelter and yet,  he just opened a newly renovated emergency services building  yesterdaywith a dedication ceremony  No shortage of money for that. He is out celebrating a new building for his use, and yet animals wait for volunteers to bring them food. Disgusting!!!
 
The only food that is provided for the animals is donated, as stated to me by volunteer shelter workers. They make sure these animals are fed, when they come in for a few hours on the weekends.
 
It is alleged, these animals are not always fed, during the week, causing them to cannibalize each other. Carcasses found by volunteers as recent as last Saturday. And so, these poor animals, that have had to deal with all of this adversity, now get to deal with one more final terror, the gas chamber.

Since South Carolina has animal shelters unwilling to make the responsible, humane choice, of compassionate euthanasia by injection, We must do it for them.  We must initiate a state wide ban of these torture chambers.

The term "put to sleep" refers to the humane injection, not the horrifying gas chamber. There is no sleeping in there. The volunteers hear these animals scream for mercy. Most hate being there on the "killing" days

This shelter, like many others in South Carolina, has had permits in place to do humane euthanasia, this one in particular for over a year, to humanly euthanize by injection.
 
I was told by Brian Berch, animal control supervisor, they have had trained people in place, who can administer it, yet , knowing the animals are being subjected to terror and trauma. They continue to use this death chamber. Because they can. .
The sheriff stated in yesterdays link paper its too "costly" to use the humane alternative citing cost. Stating $40.00 a vial. Well, it may be $40.00 a vial however that vial holds 250ml. You use 1 ml for every 10 pounds (60 lb animal = 6ml ) of the drug. That covers quite a lot animals. Animals that can be spared the horrors of the gas chamber.

We MUST take a stand and DEMAND animals be treated with compassion. They need a voice. There has never been a good reason to torture an animal.
 
A very good quote I once read, said: We can continue to legitimize the two-pronged strategy of failure: adopt a few and kill the rest. It is a choice which history has thrown upon us. We are the generation that questioned the killing. We are the generation that has discovered how to stop it. Will we be the generation that does"

Until we can convince the State of South Carolina to do abolish kill shelters altogether, we must insure the abandoned and forgotten animals die a compassionate death".

We have a chance to find a better way, by making positive changes for the sake of the animals.
 
If the Animal Shelters in the state of South Carolina will not make responsible changes,  WE must stand up and make it for them. We must ban these torture chambers, and trust me, thats exactly what they are. 

We must move forward to becoming a better, more compassionate nation, one state at a time.

In this particular shelter, Bessie, a sweet loving dog, was waiting to be picked up. She was being fostered that day, and she was going to a loving home. She had already dealt with the heartbreak of being tossed out by the only home she had known, after being a family pet for 7 years.

She was finally going to be loved again. She never got the chance!

She was placed in a pen, by an untrained animal control officer, with 3 bigger dogs. She was ripped to shreds, provided no vet care, dragged, whimpering, to the gas chamber where she slowly suffocated to death in terrible pain.

All four dogs were placed in the gas chamber that day. A terrible tragedy! I am afraid to ask if they were all placed in together.

They could have ended her suffering, swiftly and humanely.  Had the the gas chamber been unavailable, Bessie could have been euthanized humanely.

 We can be the voice for these animals and we can work TOGETHER to make a difference.

*There is a poster on this shelters wall that says Purina pet food company will provide free food for a month to anyone adopting a pet from this facility.  However, when questioned about it, A volunter at the shelter replies: Purina will not  provide it to this shelter as long a this shelter has a gas chamber.*

I hope that you will make your compassion known and take action to affect a change for the betterment of the animals of Chesterfield County. To make a change for the state of South Carolina!

Let Sheriff Sam Parker know change is coming. With or without his permission! When he was asked to shut down the old rusty gas chamber, he chose to threaten to restrict access to the animals, to lock out volunteers.   To stop rescue programs or charge them $10.00 for each animal pulled by rescuers.  He was just asked to do the right and legal thing.

This problem unfortunately, pertains to the whole state of South Carolina. Every shelter with a gas chamber. When I asked animal control officers in Chesterfield County why the shelter was still using the old antiquated broken down gas chamber. I was met with the response," its legal in the state of South Carolina".

As long as its legal, we will continue."   As long as this law is on the books, animals will continue to be legally and illegally tortured. This is shocking animal abuse!

Lets teach these shelters a better, more compassionate way.  Changes need to be made now, starting with getting rid of this murderous contraption, and never allowing another shelter to have one!  

Lets tell the people of South Carolina they must stand up and protect the animals! The animals need a voice, because they are being abused on the vilest level. They are looking to us to stand up and fight this barbaric behavior.

Demand an end to this barbaric practice and ban all of these horriffic gas chambers state wide. 

Pet owners need to be made accountable to, take more responsibility. They MUST have their pets spayed and neutered. They must step up to the plate and stop all these animals getting killed. They must be made aware that when they drop off those cute little kittens and puppies, or decide the loyal family pet is too old and they want a newer cuter version, there is a really good chance you are walking them to the gas chamber.

Its time for everyone to take responsibility now. Next time your pet goes missing, he or she may end up  looking out from inside that gas chamber, in complete terror, begging for his/her life. No one there to save her. Her cries of terror falling on deaf ears.

Tell the governor, its time to make a change. 

Please ask him to change the laws in the state of South Carolina, to promote a more humane way. Ask him to write an executive order immediately. Lets prevent one more animal being put in that horrific red death box.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi

Gov. Mark Sanford (R) 803-734-2100
mark@gov.sc.gov

http://www.scgovernor.com/Contact.asp?sitecontentid=33 

This link has a video of a "mild" version of the horriffic gas chambering; ie: no beatings and using bats or poles. They are put in from the top ( probably because they were being taped). It's still very shocking to watch, but at least it is a big box and they are not beating the animals as they are putting them it. Its heartbreaking to watch but important to show. If you choose to skip the video, then you already know it must be stopped! Please scroll down past it and read the eye opening letter from one who does this for a living. This you MUST read. I thank him for being brave enough to write this. The video was not done at this particular shelter...
http://www.pawsoftomorrow.com/info/display?PageID=6741

Lets call Chesterfield County and let them know there is a better way.

*UPDATE: Sept 7th 2010 I have been made aware that death threats are being made to the Sheriff, his deputy's and others in that county. While I'm sure its not coming from any of my petitions, post's or blog,  I want to make it absolutly clear, It is never acceptable to threaten to do harm to anyone period. This just makes our cause insignificant after we have come so far! I know we are passionate about this cause but lets win this by educating the people, not violence, * Love you all xoxo

*Update: Sept 8th VICTORY Gas Chamber was removed today!!!!! It was covered in grey paint to try and hide the flaws before it was disposed of!  I have the undercover pics. He and others are claiming he intended to get rid of it anyway. He has had at least TWO YEARS to do so. Hmmm , why was it when I posted inspectors were on the way, in my blog ,the thing was taken out that evening?  HMMM... We must push forward until every gas chamber is out of S.C... If I have to take on every Sheriff in that state and embarrass them to do the right thing I will!!! *This is just the start, YOU ALL ROCK.

 * Update: *Now that the gas chamber is removed, I am actively perusing prosecution for all involved in the animal abuse at the Chesterfield County shelter S.C... I will also be demanding full accountability of all funding allotted for that said shelter People who have condoned, known and participated in this atrocity will be made accountable. Thank you to the ones who have come forward, emailed, phoned me, and gave statements to help stop the abuse.*

   Contact   South Carolina Law Enforcement Division 
                                        http://www.sled.sc.gov/
                                             803-737-9000
Ask them to investigate why the gas chamber has not been inspected in 13 years. The law states it must be done quartely.  Ask them where is the $7000.00 funds that were allocated for the shelter is.   Money missing that could have been used to feed the animals and provide medical care. It could have been used to implement a humane euthanisia program.

Let them know this is all documented. Demand to know why !!!!! why!!!  the gas chamber was painted grey before it was pulled out, to hide the condition.  I have the undercover pictures. Demand to know why it took an outsider, from Las Vegas Nevada and 1300 supporters of this cause, to uncover the problems and stand up to a sheriff, a sheriff that is supossed to be part of the solution and not part of the problem!!!    A sheriff that was ultimatly responsible for making sure the people he had running the shelter were doing the job they were hired to do and to ensure  all laws pertaining to the shelter and the gas chamber were being adhered to, specifilly relating to the Gas Chamber code violations and euthanizing of animals under 16 weeks of age. 

**Just to explain why there is a law protecting young animals under 16 weekes: : It is documented that animals under the age of 16 weeks have under developed lungs and tragically quite often, do not die in gas chambers. They will wake up in land fills, dumpsters. Often, after being found alive,  they are drowned in a bucket, have their necks broken or slowly suffocated, in plastic bags.  All documented facts. **

**This sheriff is running for office and will be relected due to no other person running against him, Maybe now, someone will!  WHO POLICES THE SHERIFF?
Contact  SL.E.D  : 803-737-9000 
**
Yes Sheriff,  I know, you used to work for them,...lets just see if they will investigate this and take it to the Attorney General. Lets see who else we can expose dealing with missing funds. I will keep you posted!

*Update: I talked to Henry Sinclair from S.L.E.D this morning. He advised me to write a letter to the Attorney General's office and request an investigation so that S.L.E.D can investigate. I will keep you posted:*

This article is from Sept 12 2008 Look under heading to see date of article. This has been going on way to long.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2008/09/12/186938/web-photos-of-shelter-draw-national.html#ixzz0zHYwQWUj

Update: My letter to the Link in todays Sept 14th 2010 paper. Page 4, under  "changes need to be made at county shelter". The rest on page 5 under "injection". Addressing his quotes in last weeks paper in the link..you can see this in the archives.. Click on the page to make it bigger. The sheriff, in a different article in this paper, states now, "children are getting death threats." I have never know an activist to threaten a child with death threats or anything else, and I personally think this is just his way to get the heat of him. See at the bottom of this paper under comments my rebuttal to the sheriff about this statement**
.http://thelinkpaper.com/content.aspx?IsHome=1&MemberID=1342&ID=3401&Module=Quickpage
****NEED TO SEARCH SITE FOR IT NOW LOOK UNDER DATE****

Sheriff Sam Parker: His number is being removed due to removing the gas chamber  FOR NOW

chamber admin@chesterfieldsheriff.org 


Brian Berch Shelter Manager:  His number being removed due to removing the chamber: FOR NOW

843-623-2535   Please ask City Council to provide a budget for the shelter *this one is  important  * Tell them to look at the link newspaper on tuesday to see my suggestions for a better shelter.

Request that the shelter be overseen by a comittee to make sure animals are being treated humanely and to make sure there is a budget for the shelter. This us urgent due to changes being made at shelter. Tell them to take the sheriff's office  out of the day to day operations of the shelter. PLEASE REQUEST THIS BE DONE IMMEDIATLY.

State Legislature Links
Rep Ted Vick 843-623-5001 Please contact him. I have spoken to his office, please do kind follow up calls
Sen. Jim DeMint (R) Fax: 202-228-5143
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) Fax: 202-224-3808
Rep. Henry Brown (R-1) Fax: 202-225-3407
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=464149106514  Blog and Bessie's pic

Karen.Rippy @yahoo.com
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=604052470  my facebook page.
www.operationtailwag@gmail.com

Animal Activist working towards a positive change for the ones who can't speak for themselves, the preciious animals, please join my fight.