My Pet World: Stop the gassing of unwanted pets
Animals dying in gas chambers doesn’t conjure up a pleasant image, but it happens at shelters every day.
When the inevitable time comes, most owned pets are euthanized by injection. The word euthanasia comes from the Greeks, literally meaning a “good death” without fear, stress or pain. However, unwanted pets consigned to shelters but never adopted often face the opposite.
“Death by gas is horrible enough to be banned (in most states) for criminals,” says activist and dog trainer Joseph Dwyer, of Nutley, N.J.
According to Dwyer’s count, 30 states still allow for the killing of shelter pets in carbon monoxide chambers.
“It’s unnecessary, heartless,” he says. “These shelter animals are not criminals; their only crime is that they can’t find a home.”
Dwyer became involved when he learned about a beagle named Daniel. The little dog made national news last fall when he and 17 other dogs were placed together in a carbon monoxide chamber in Florence, Ala. Sixteen dogs died that day. When a shelter worker opened the chamber door, one tail was still wagging. The amazed worker thought the dog would still die overnight, but the pet refused to succumb.
The shelter didn’t have the heart to put down the plucky dog, who soon made national news for his resilience.
Dwyer heard about the dog and adopted him through a non-profit organization called Eleventh Hour Rescue. Dwyer not only adopted Daniel — named for the Biblical figure who survived in the lion’s den — but he also launched a personal mission to advocate for euthanasia by injection, and end carbon monoxide killings forever.
When Pennsylvania State Sen. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) heard about the hardy beagle, he learned his state was among those “still in the dark ages,” as he says. “I feel our great state must do better.”
Indeed, this is about to happen. In March, a Pennsylvania bill to end euthanasia of shelter animals by gassing should sail through the state Senate Appropriations Committee, and then on to the full Senate for what Dinniman expects will be a bipartisan vote of approval.
Dinniman noted that public response to the proposal has been overwhelmingly in favor.
“In my district (Pennsylvania’s 19th senatorial district), 400 people showed up at a rally with their dogs,” he says. “I’m not sure what the opposition could possibly say. I’m convinced that most people don’t realize (these) gas chambers exist — and likely in the state they live in.”
Some contend euthanasia by injection — one animal at a time — will be more costly. It turns out this isn’t true, according to a 2009 study by the American Humane Assn. In fact, euthanasia by injection can potentially be less expensive.
Perhaps, the gas chambers at shelters are rarely reported on because, after all, their usage is hard to stomach. Despite guidelines that suggest otherwise, for the sake of expediency, animals put to death in these chambers are often rounded up. Big dogs are crammed together with small dogs, and cats are put to death with dogs. Technicians report hearing animals scream.
“That’s right, it’s inhumane,” says Dwyer. “But also, don’t all animals deserve to die with some dignity?” As pet owners are aware, euthanasia by injection shows respect for individual lives. Many pet owners use words such as “beautiful,” “spiritual” and “peaceful” to describe the process.
Dwyer is working to support Dinniman’s efforts in Pennsylvania, and hopes the state’s high-profile passage of a bill banning euthanasia by gassing will spread to other states. Dinniman is hoping for the same result. “The way which we treat our animals reflects the way which we treat ourselves,” he comments.
STEVE DALE welcomes questions/comments from readers. Send email to petworld@stevedale.tv.