NORTH CAROLINA: SEE 6/10/11 : GAS CHAMBERS FOR HOMELESS PETS & ANIMALS!

 MASS KILLING OF HOMELESS PETS IN GAS CHAMBERS!  Be an advocate of humane euthanasia when medically required.   GAS CHAMBERS only serve to eliminate personal responsibility.    America, a better solution is required.  We can do better!  We must do better!  Please advocate for humane procedures.
 

Click here: http://aldf.org/downloads/APL6E-NC.pdf Animal Protection Laws of North Carolina

Click here: Contacting the Congress: A Citizen's Congressional Directory

In September, 2010, the National Animal Control Association (NACA) adopted a policy: "NACA considers lethal injection of sodium pentobarbital, administered by competent, trained personnel, to be the only method of choice utilized for humane euthanasia of animal shelter dogs and cats."

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians agrees, stating flatly that "the use of carbon monoxide for individual or mass companion animal euthanasia in shelters is unacceptable due to significant humane, operational and safety concerns...[C]arbon monoxide euthanasia should be banned in shelters."

No word about whether the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) will abandon its support for carbon monoxide gas chambers. Basically, the AVMA's 2007 Policy on Euthanasia states use of carbon monoxide gas chambers is an "acceptable" method of "euthanasia". The AVMA's stance is seen as a green light for shelters to continue to use this outmoded, barbaric means of killing animals.

Many don't read the AVMA's fine print.

The AVMA finds CO gas chambers "acceptable" as a means of killing as long as the proverbial camel fits through the eye of a needle. The AVMA envisions a laboratory setting rather than the reality, which is untrained shelter staff shoving animals into a gas chamber, turning it on and leaving the room.  The AVMA report states:

"commercially compressed CO [gas must be] used and the following precautions ...taken: (1) 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; (5) the CO flow rate should be adequate to rapidly achieve a uniform CO concentration of at least 6% after animals are placed in the chamber ...; and (6) if the chamber is inside a room, CO monitors must be placed in the room to warn personnel of hazardous concentrations. It is essential that CO use be in compliance with state and federal occupational health and safety regulations."

On top of that, AVMA recommends the CO gas chamber should be regularly cleaned, maintained and inspected, flow rates monitored, animals separated by species and restrained and noise that may frighten animals is to be reduced or controlled. The AVMA does not recommend use of the CO gas chamber for animals under 16 weeks of age or which might have difficulty breathing like pregnant, old, ill, or injured animals.

Then there is the endless list of safety requirements because CO gas is  dangerous, and shelter staff are at risk from CO poisoning when they load and unload or clean the gas chamber, breathing in low levels of the gas on a regular basis.  Not to mention the risk of explosions such as occurred at the Iredell County and Lincoln County, North Carolina public shelters just in the past 2 years.  

See what we mean about the fine print? But there's more.

Buried in AVMA's 2007 Euthanasia Report is the admission:  "Reptiles, amphibians, and diving birds and mammals have a great capacity for holding their breath and anaerobic metabolism. Therefore, induction of anesthesia and time to loss of consciousness when using inhalants may be greatly prolonged. Other techniques may be more appropriate for these species."  

Translation: Most animals including mammals like dogs and cats, can hold their breath and it may take a long time before they actually inhale enough CO gas to lose consciousness and they will suffer terribly in the meantime. For more on the 2007 AVMA Policy on Euthanasia....

Take a look here at the states that have banned CO gas chambers.  Take a listen here to a discussion about the cruelty and danger in using CO gas chambers to kill shelter animals.

This past summer Animal Law Coalition began a look at the continuing use of CO gas chambers in some of North Carolina's shelters. 

Euthanasia is just wrong when it comes to healthy animals that have been displaced for one reason or another.
This petition is an attempt to make the right people see this and stop all the senseless killing. Animal Cruelty is a crime and the killing of an animal in good health is a form of animal cruelty eventhough it is painless.
With the proper government and taxpayer backing the shelters can make the necessary purchases such as medicine/vaccine, food, toys, overhead expenses etc. to extend the time until a loving home is found for all the displaced animalS.

AnimalActionUSA