MI Legislators Plan to Weaken Bill Designed at Making Animal Euthanasia More Humane

This article was recently found in the Detroit News / Free Press.  If you believe as we do that the current intention of these lawmakers is irresponsible, we urge you to contact your representatives in the state legislature and strongly voice your opinion of what their actions should be as your elected representatives.  We believe these bills must maintain their strong stance against gassing animals; and certainly should not change because of cost-related issues or lack of training in administering euthanasia injections.  It should be a state requirement that shelter staff are properly trained in this technique – which actually costs less to administer than gassing.  We hope you will join us in this belief and take action with your elected representatives.

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Gassing of dogs, cats may continue; Bill on euthanasia at shelters weakened

State legislators, including two from metro Detroit, plan this month to revise – and essentially weaken – three bills aimed at making euthanasia of stray dogs and cats more humane.

The original versions would have outlawed the use of gas chambers in animal shelters, instead requiring lethal injections.

But after some officials, particularly some state veterinary officials, voiced opposition to the bills at a June 25 meeting, the legislative sponsors – state Reps. Eileen Kowall, R-White Lake; Fed Miller, D-Mt. Clemens; and Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge – now plan to allow some leeway.

“We’ll say whenever possible you should do injections because that’s the most humane,” Miller said last week. “But if you have the training and you’ve invested in the equipment to use gas properly, that’s allowed.”

Poison gas is no longer used at animal shelters in most of Michigan, including metro Detroit.  But at least 10 counties in north and west Michigan still use it according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

State officials said Michigan shelters euthanized 118,365 dogs and cats in 2008 – 53% of the animals brought in – but figures weren’t available on how many were gassed.

Animal advocates are upset about the revisions to the bills.

“In a gas chamber, the larger dogs survive for four to five minutes – terrified and choking,” said Joe Sowerby, founder of the adoption event Pet-a-Palooza, set for August 1st at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Those injected with sodium pentobarbital lose consciousness in seconds and die in two minutes, Sowerby said.  And studies show the average cost of injections is less than gassing, Sowerby said.

But Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Nancy Frank said she wouldn’t limit shelters’ options because not all facilities have the training for injections.