Stop Euthanizing Shelter Animals in Gas Chambers
By Maria DiCesareTarget: President Obama on behalf of the 30 US States that still allow gassing
Goal: To end the use of gas chambers in animal shelters
Euthanizing a pet is one of the hardest things an owner has to go through. One of the only comforts in the process is knowing that the pet isn’t feeling any pain. Unfortunately, many states are still using gas chambers to euthanize shelter animals instead of EBI (euthanasia by injection). These are animals that may have never known the kindness and compassion of humans, and their final moments are spent having carbon monoxide invade their bodies.
Shelter workers have no option to comfort the animal as it is being euthanized in a gas chamber. The animal is in there alone, and probably very scared. The actual gassing process takes almost 30 minutes to end an animal’s life, whereas injection leads them to be unconscious within five seconds. More than three million shelter pets are euthanized each year, and until we find a way to control the abundance of animals, we must treat their last moments on Earth with respect and humanity.
The only acceptable form of euthanasia should be by injection. Injecting an animal is quicker, and provides a more comforting environment for the animal. It also doesn’t cause any harm for anyone else in the room since there are no poisonous gases being used. We must speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves.
Sign below to make our animal shelters treat euthanasia more humanely.
Dear President Obama,
Unfortunately we continue to face overpopulation in our animal shelters, which leads to the euthanasia of some animals. These animals are usually ones that have seen hard times, and their suffering ends by being thrown into a gas chamber. There are still 30 states that use gas chambers as a means to the end of an animal’s life.
Gassing animals involves the use of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which are dangerous for our shelter workers to be around. Gas chambers take almost 30 minutes to end an animal’s life, meaning they are in that chamber feeling distressed, confused, and alone.
We believe that euthanasia by injection (EBI) is the only humane form of euthanasia. It is significantly cheaper, quicker, and allows an animal to be comforted by shelter workers while they drift away. Our shelter animals face enough pain while they are alone in cages. They don’t deserve to be distressed during what is supposed to be a humane solution.
Please end gas chamber euthanasia by creating a ban on the practice. Our shelter pets don’t deserve such a cruel ending.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
Photo credit: http://searunner.sv-timemachine.net
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37 Comments
Too horrible for words. What kind of society still permits these atrocities?
Chega de Holocausto de animais…
Eles são tão divinos como qualquer outro ser humano.
It is unbelievable that the USA, claiming to be a humane nation, treats animals like they’re worthless. As written before, this is an animal holocaust and should be forbidden by law.
I know that injections take more man hours and are more expensive but it is so much more humane
Actually the injection is half the cost per animal compared to gassing. I think it would be worth it even if it were more expensive, but the fact is there are so many animals in shelters that they don’t have the money to support the animals indefinitely. People are irresponsible and lazy and take the easy way out too often. People abandon their animals at shelters cause they are too cheap to euthanize their pet themselves. If you dump the animal, it is the shelter’s problem. The injection used is sodium pentobarbital. It is used in animal and human anethesia and in higher doses, euthanasia. It takes seconds and is the most peaceful and only acceptable way of euthanizing an animal. This is not an expensive drug at all. The animals deserve to be comforted at least in their final moments but that isn’t possible with gassing. It’s barbaric and I don’t understand how anyone could even open the cage knowing what that animal was in for. Only 20 states in the US have outlawed gassing but a few years ago, there were only 9 states. So it’s a cause that deserves effort to convince those that make policies to change the law. Unfortunately in this country money talks. The cost of injection is $2.29 per animal according to the Humane Society and that is half per animal of gassing. ANother problem is if you take your animal to the vet to be euthanized because it is sick or whatever the case may be, it is often as much as $100.00-125.00 for the procedure. Do the math, you know how much the drug cost. It requires an IV and about 15 seconds of the vet’s time. A lot of people can’t afford it so they dumop them at a shelter as an alternative to paying for it themselves. Pathetic but all too common.
I don’t understand that the USA, claiming to be a humane nation, is still allowing to euthanize helpless animals. Don’t they remember how Americans saved humans in WWII from gas chambers? Now it’s time they save healthy animals from the same destiny. Please sign this petition.
I’m very proud of everyone for signing this petition. I pray and pray for these animals. It is so sad that it continues. But, I hear all the excuses all the time of how people can’t afford to fix their animals but they take vacations, buy new things, keep up with the hair and nails, go to movies, restaurants, take their kids everywhere but their poor pet doesn’t get fixed. Hello, if you can buy pizza for your family then you can fix your pet
Couldnt have said it any better! It should be MANDATORY, although licensing & rabies shots are and people still dont do that.
We need animal inspectors in every town, state patrolling and seeking out people who haven’t micro chipped, spayed and neutered their pets. This could be paid for out of licencing and government funding. Fines for those who do not act on this. Why doesn’t the government do something once and for all like free spay and neuter, otherwise this problem will never go away. I think new modern shelters would have to be built first, as a lot of people would just abandon their pets. If you can’t afford to do the right thing by pets,then don’t have them. There needs to be a number of things put in place. First thing is close down all animal mills. Stop the breeding of all animals. Too many being discarded and killed so ban animal breeding.
Well put.
I agree with Cheryl 100%. People do not have their priorities straight. They think only of themselves.
You hit this nail right on the head, but forgot their smokes and beer … and those are not cheap. We have an organization that, for the cost of a lg pizza with everything, could fix an animal.
Some years ago I used to pass a home with a perpetual sign for “free kittens”. I stopped one day to ask why. The woman said “oh, we let the cats have their fun(!) and then we bring them to the shelter aand they find homes for them. What a blind, stupid person.
Shortly after I sent in an OpEd to the local paper suggesting that anyone, cat or dog owner, who allowed their pet to continually reproduce (ads in papers, signs on fences) should be fined 40 hours community service in their local shelter, killing surplus pets. Make them see what their ignorance brings about. Then make sure their animals are spayed/neutered.
Boy, did I take heat for that one. I was called sick and cruel. But what’s more sick and cruel then killing cats and dogs no one wants. Why make shelter workers have to constantly clean up peoples’ problems.
Anyway, I, too, pray all the time for the alone, forgotten, unwanted animals the world over. So sad.
Too many stupid people in this world own pets.. cats, dogs, birds.. I have the impression that birds get the worst treatment from the idiots out there. Some birds even in pet stores. … lots of idiots work there too, We have a store called Petland not far from where we live. I have complained twice about no food or clean water for the cages finches and others. Even veterinary offices, where birds are left in charge of idiots. .. I’ve been there, done that.. felt sick over how the birds are treated, and what happened after that.If I could prove what happened to my birds I’d sue the b… s
You have my full support.. ! Hugs!!
I CANNOT believe that in 2013 this horror is still being perpetrated in the USA! This must stop.
I had no idea the US has its very own holocaust. It’s obscene and shameful.
If people would take some responsibility and get their animals fixed and KEEP them their whole lives, so many lives would be saved. People are so selfish!
If people would take some responsibility and get their animals fixed and KEEP them their whole lives, so many lives would be saved. People are so selfish!
Reply
I think that those animals -who are the victims of the society- shouldn’t be killed at all. And in the USA there should be much more effort to turn kill-shelters into NO-kill shelters!!! This killing of animals who are guilty because they exist – is a CRIME !
STOP THE KILLING NOW! THIS A CRIME THERE SHOULD NOT BE NO MORE KILL SHELTERS, THESE POOR ANIMALS CANNOT HELP IT IF THEY WHERE BORN.
Animals are typically in shelters on account of actions by people…they’ve been abandoned, abused, starved…any of a number of reasons…this is no reason to KILL them as this is through no fault of their own…no-kill shelters should be THE alternative…if they could have an on-call veterinarian available to ensure the health of the animal, why can’t they adopt out/offer the animals in a similar fashion as ‘pet shops’ and become ‘for profit’ organizations…enabling them to become self sufficient and take care of the animals as well…no need to KILL them as mentioned above…and the ‘adopters’ would need to qualify, reducing the number of ‘abandoned’ or ‘surrendered’ pets…a good situation for the animals and humans alike…
This is like a horror movie only worse because it’s real!
I’m an American and ashamed that the US will allow such an atrocity! I think that the people who allow it should suffer for a half an hour in a tiny, cramped space with hardly enough air to keep them alive so they can feel what these poor animals go through.
Who are the real animals here? Not the ones being put down that’s for sure you “human” creeps!
The word ‘euthanize’ means good (eu) death (thanatos). There is nothing good in murdering an animal in a gaschamber. Gaschambers should be banned from this world; they have been used too often in the last century!! And animals trust you, so let us not harm them in this horrible way. And don’t forget that injections to kill are also not painless! No kill shelters and a good policy to make people adopt.
Actually, the acceptable form of injectable euthanasia is a drug called sodium pentobarbital. It’s used in animal and human anesthesia and in high doses, euthanasia. It is physically painless, except for placement of the IV. Please don’t allow any excuses to not use EBI(euthanasia by injection). It was used at my vet’s office when my cat had to be euthanized due to liver failure. it took less than 5 seconds once the drug was injected. It is a tranquilizer also given to humans. Gassing, on the other hand, can take up to half an hour, is extremely distressing and scary for the animals(especially since they can’t be comforted during their passing as you would at your vet’s office), and it doesn’t always work. We have failed at protecting animals from the depravity of humans; the least we can do is make their passing painless and peaceful and be there to comfort them. Euthanasia means humane death. We offer it to people suffering from terminal illnesses and they have choices; how we can’t offer it to our most helpless of citizens is beyond me.
…My husband is a vet tech, so I always ask the vets their opinions. I’ve heard that injections are more cost-effective, and a hell of lot more humane than gassing.
The animals are not always gassed alone – some places pile them into the chamber, making these sad animals’ last minutes a complete terror. I think I’d rather ezt out of a Dumpster than take a job gassing animals.
I’m for taking funds used for killing – euthanize is such a BS word – and try to spay/neuter as many cats and dogs as possible. There’s got to be a way we can do this.
Postively dreadful and sickening! This kind of thing must be stopped and banned the world over.
Petitioning Obama to have compassion for our shelter animals is a lesson in futility. This is an asshat who flew his White House dog on a separate plane to their vacation site in Maine lest he get dog hair on his clothes. This is an asshat who sanctioned the opening of horse slaughterhouses in the U.S. This is an asshat who could correctly be labeled as a megalomaniac. Nice try, Forcechange.com.
This is something that must be done state by state by very persuasive people. Years ago, there were only 9 states that banned gassing, there are now 20. We have a long way to go, but that is proof that it can be done. Obama is of no use. This is “beneath him”, I’m sure. Find out what your state’s policy is and if they allow gassing at all investigate further. Start with your county shelter and ask them how they euthanize. It is cost-effective(money talks in the US) to use injection. It is cheaper per animal than gassing(half the cost). That will be the most likely argument that might get action rather than appealing to the humanity of lawmakers. I don’t care what the lawmakers motives are as long as the animals are protected from gassing.
SIGNED THIS PRACTICE MUST STOP.
I thought NAZI had ended after the war! Unfortunately they still exist, with the states’ approval! Shame
Daniela disconzi
Man’s inhumanity to man.. also animals.. Think that the human race on this planet is the worst kind of race… Wonder how the humans brains work.. don’t they think that animals have feelings too?? Doubt they have feelings or brains.. to put it politely.
Hey people – wake up !! I am really shocked that most just only are against the killing in gas chambers but not against the killing AT ALL !!? This is unbelievable! That means in the USA it is so common to kill those inocent animals that people think it is normal and ok if it is done by an injection!!?? By the way gassing is a horror and I think heart-sticks as well!! I never heard of this cruel practise everywhere but in the USA!! But I also saw pictures ane videos when dogs are killed by injection and this was not like “putting to sleep” – the animals were fighting and screeming!
You claim to be a progressive nation – so stand up and stop murdering animals who’s owners are guilty and they are the victims! What justice is that ?!!!
Why dont we just throw the murders that gas the dogs in the chambers sling with their loved ones. maybe they should feel the burning in their lungs! mabe they need to know what it feels like!
Forget the excuses! never should we gas or euthaniize any animal simply because theres no room.the workers at the shelters are lazy.they would rsther play with their stupid cell phone then to take care of these precious animals.and yes, they are just as important as we are! it must be stopped its murder and they deserve samr quality if life as we expect for ourselves!!!!
gas chamber to end the life of a animal of any kind is such a heartbreaking unfortunite fact that NEEDS TO CHANGE.this is so inhumane and it makes me SICK to know this goes on in this world.I’v had lots of pets throughout my life and if any of them became termenly ill to the point that they were suffering they were put down HUMAINLY,while family surrounded my pet held my pet while my pet received 1of 2 shots.both were painLESS,and my pet passed peacefully.sure its always sad when you loose a pet,,,,but to dispose of animals like they are trash and like they didn;t maybe mean something to someone or MAYBE THEY ARE LONELY<<<and to put them all in a room and gas them,,,im tearing now,,,i guess thats because i have a HEART!!!its heartbreaking for any soul to die lonely and a painful death!!our animals included…we have to change this pathetic gas chamber deal…its inhumane,its plain WRONG,thank you
I’M VERY DISAPPOINTED with the letter to the president. Major issues were left out like what happens to the dogs, puppies, cats & kittens bodies while being gassed & how they are crammed in a chamber box some with no windows & how some animals attach others & if the gassing doesn’t work the first time the animals are gassed again !!!! How they cry while being gassed !!!!!! The President needs to know these things !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
STOP THE KILLING NOW!!!!
It is disgusting that any healthy animal should be killed, and mostly due to people breeding more animals, instead of adopting from shelters. The very least we can do is ensure that these poor innocents have a calm and painfree death, while being soothed and comforted by someone who cares. Do unto others. Would any of us like to die terrified and in pain in a gas chamber?
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