Demand justice for the animals of Tangipahoa

On Monday, August 4, approximately 170 dogs and cats were euthanized at the Tangipahoa Parish Animal Shelter. Tangipahoa Parish is just northeast of New Orleans; the shelter is located in Hammond, LA.  The shelter claims the animals were infected with the Corona virus and that they all had to be euthanized.  They hired outside vets to do the euthanasia and paid them, rather than use their own staff.  Their own staff, upon hearing the news resigned.

The Shelter has refused to provide documentation on who diagnosed Coronavirus and Canine coronavirus is not considered a fatal disease though very young pups and older fragile dogs may expire from dehydration and malnutrition.  Normally it is a self-limiting disease, common in all dogs.  Canine coronavirus is not transmitted to cats and the Shelter has not explained why all the cats were euthanized as well.  Canine coronavirus is transmitted by feces, and NOT airborne as the Shelter claims.  See http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.edu/cahrc/CCV.htm

Despite their claim that all animals had to be euthanized to prevent spread of the disease, they allowed 8 dogs to be taken out by a staff member who was trying to save as many as she could.  Animals that had just arrived at the shelter and would not have been exposed to symptomatic animals were euthanized as well. 

We believe that the explanations given speak to the tragic and unacceptable lack of knowledge of the Shelter managerial staff and to their callousness towards the animals in their care.  Their refusal to provide any details on the circumstances under which they arrived at this gruesome conclusion speak to their efforts to prevent any legitimate inquiry into the matter.  This Shelter traditionally euthanizes animals using the barbaric heartstick method.  They have refused to confirm or deny whether that method was used for these animals.

One of the latest news stories follows:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/26407649.html

We therefore demand justice for the animals who cruelly and cold-bloodedly were murdered in the Tangipahoa Parish Animal Control Center on August 4, 2008.

 

On Monday, August 4, approximately 170 dogs and cats were euthanized at the Tangipahoa Parish Animal Shelter. Tangipahoa Parish is just northeast of New Orleans; the shelter is located in Hammond, LA.  The shelter claims the animals were infected with the Corona virus and that they all had to be euthanized.  They hired outside vets to do the euthanasia and paid them, rather than use their own staff.  Their own staff, upon hearing the news resigned.

The Shelter has refused to provide documentation on who diagnosed Coronavirus and Canine coronavirus is not considered a fatal disease though very young pups and older fragile dogs may expire from dehydration and malnutrition.  Normally it is a self-limiting disease, common in all dogs.  Canine coronavirus is not transmitted to cats and the Shelter has not explained why all the cats were euthanized as well.  Canine coronavirus is transmitted by feces, and NOT airborne as the Shelter claims.  See http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.edu/cahrc/CCV.htm

Despite their claim that all animals had to be euthanized to prevent spread of the disease, they allowed 8 dogs to be taken out by a staff member who was trying to save as many as she could.  Animals that had just arrived at the shelter and would not have been exposed to symptomatic animals were euthanized as well. 

We believe that the explanations given speak to the tragic and unacceptable lack of knowledge of the Shelter managerial staff and to their callousness towards the animals in their care.  Their refusal to provide any details on the circumstances under which they arrived at this gruesome conclusion speak to their efforts to prevent any legitimate inquiry into the matter.  This Shelter traditionally euthanizes animals using the barbaric heartstick method.  They have refused to confirm or deny whether that method was used for these animals.

One of the latest news stories follows:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/26407649.html

We therefore demand justice for the animals who cruelly and cold-bloodedly were murdered in the Tangipahoa Parish Animal Control Center on August 4, 2008.

 

We the undersigned demand justice for the animals of Tangipahoa Parish Animal Shelter who were mass euthanized and murdered on August 4, 2008.

We believe that there was no reason that these animals should have been euthanized and that your reason for doing this mass euthanasia was nothing but a lie, a cover-up for your cruel method of treating animals.  You claim that there was Corona virus and that justified your actions, but there is NO proof of that; indeed there are eight dogs that were rescued that day from your shelter who have no signs of this virus and who are healthy.  Had there been the epidemic that you claimed, these animals would be showing signs of illness.  Additionally, it has come out that you probably used an antiquated and horrific method to kill these animals; the heart stick, since it is known that you use that method regularly.  How could you do that? It has been proven that animals die slowly and painfully that way; knowing they are dying.  How could you use this method and what kind of veterinarians would use that method? 

We demand justice for these animals who were cruelly and cold-bloodedly murdered in your shelter on August 4, 2008.