Stop gassing animals in S.C. shelters

Ban the Gas Chamber for Animals in South Carolina!

 Stop gassing S.C. shelter animals would ensure that when the state's unwanted, sick or un-adoptable shelter animals have to be euthanized, the procedure will only be done by injection of sodium pentobarbital. This method is called euthanasia by injection.

The American Humane Association considers euthanasia by injection to be the only acceptable and humane means of euthanasia for animals in animal shelters.
Even though a majority of the shelters in the state use euthanasia by injection, MANY still use outdated, inhumane gas chambers. Shelter workers overwhelmingly 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 dioxide gas chamber is both severely inhumane to medium and large animals, and demoralizing to the workers who have to euthanize. Such outdated practices also create public outcry and demean the purpose of an animal shelter. 

Dear fellow animal lover,
Because of county and city policies, among a lot of shelters in S.C., not to inform families or individuals turning in their un-wanted pets that they would be euthanized, so many families believe that taking their un-wanted pet(s) to a shelter would allow he/she another opportunity to find a home and do not know he/she would be euthanized at all, let alone gassed in a gas chamber. Sadly, this happens to far too many shelter cats and dogs in S.C.
After being allowed to video a gas chamber, in an un-named SC shelter,
in 2007, my life will never be the same. It is very painful to re-visit in my mind the day I filmed, but it is more painful to do nothing.
Nearly 1 million animals are killed each year in S.C., tax operated animal shelters. Some of the shelters use an injection, some still use gas.
We must ask S.C. lawmakers to make gassing illegal in this state.
Please, help me to help the voiceless, innocent victims trapped in our legal kill buildings in S.C., dying by the thousands every week by means of gassing.
I ask you to please sign this petition; I need 50,000 signatures to get the attention of the people that we vote into office, the only ones, sadly, that can stop this practice.
Help me get attention for a bill in our state capital, to stop this practice.
Thank you so very much for joining me in this attempt to stop gassing in S.C. animal shelters, together, we can make a difference.
The very young, very adoptable dog pictured in this profile was gassed just minutes after this photo was taken in 2007 in a S.C. shelter.

Kelley Blair, Lifelong S.C. resident, worker for animal welfare  and
President and Founder Upstate Animal Rescue SC