From a technical or scientific point of view an animal gas chamber is quite interesting. From a moral point of view it is a horror. Well, here is a picture of one. Don’t worry, there are no cats inside it. There won’t ever be cats inside an animal gas chamber in Mississippi again.
The last one was at the Lucedale City Shelter. The council decided to stop killing shelter animals in gas chambers and decided to do the humane thing and kill them with lethal injections instead. They are still killing cats and dogs by the truckload, though.
It looks a bit like a giant microwave – easy clean. It has to be because cats become terrified and defecate and vomit all over the chamber when being gassed to death.
“..During this process the animals are put into a small box with many other animals (sometimes up to 30. The gas is turned on they are scared and cramped as this gas fills their lungs it starts burning their insides and eyes. They then begin to panic and cry for help as they bleed from their cavities, vomit and defecate all over (literally) and finally after enduring this for several minutes they take their last breath… As all of this is going on they are usually fully conscious.” (Olga’s email to me – thank you Olga)
So, is this progress? Yes, in a small way it is. Just killing cats in a nicer way is progress, isn’t it?
Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if we didn’t have to mass slaughter cats and dogs at all? Dream on. Gas chambers are something from the dark ages, almost. They are cheap and that is why they have existed until now in Mississippi.
It is probably more expensive to kill cats by lethal injection than it is to save and rehome them, or what about comparing the cost to educating people how to be better cat caretakers? Maybe that would be cheaper too. I don’t know.
Sometimes cats survive and they go back into the chamber. As I understand it, the gas used is either carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide.
Carbon dioxide – CO2 – kills because it causes a build up of carbon dioxide in the blood. As it is a waste product of the body, a build up poisons the cat.
Carbon monoxide – CO – prevents the blood carrying oxygen around the body. The brain is starved of oxygen eventually killing the cat.
Obviously, Jeff has never seen or heard an animal gassed to death. Also their are a lot of facts out there. AVMA,HSUS,AVA are a few places to start for facts and laws and data. Gassing IS inhumane. If an animal needs to be put down, EBI is the best way for the animal and the shelter worker. Did you also know that in the gas chamber they don’t always die? There are five documented facts about four dogs and one cat.There names: Quentin, Walley, Daniel, Andrea and Gracie. Heard of Gracie’s Law? Look it up. Also American Humane did a study in 2009 on the cost. 4.98 per animal to gas to death and 2.29 to EBI a shot to put them to sleep painlessly.
Thank you Connie.
Your welcome.
It made my blood run cold to see this,what hope have we when humans are so INhumanE
Now for you all to pull your……(insulting remark deleted)…by educating yourselves to the FACT that euthanasia by hypoxia (the loss of oxygen) is THE *MOST* HUMANE METHOD THAT EXISTS.
BBC – Horizon – The Science of Killing –
A study done on humane methods to carry out corporal punishment on humans, with further information on using the most humane methods found to humanely kill animals for our food supplies. Just like all those animals that are cruelly murdered by using means other than hypoxia and then crammed into those bags and cans of cat-food for you. Cans and bags of tortured animal flesh that you are more than happy to pay others to supply for you — every day of your lives.
People who own cats cause the suffering deaths of more animals than any other type of pet-owner on earth. And THAT is a FACT.
If it is the most humane method that exists, why aren’t people sentenced to the death penalty killed this way? And why are gas chambers being phased out? And why did the lady who I quote say the things she has said. Being poisoned by gas cannot be more humane than a well administered lethal injection. Therefore it cannot be the most humane method that exists.
The programme you mention refers to “inhales a noxious gas to experience first hand the terror of the gas chamber…” Doesn’t sound humane to me.
They have banned all but five gas chambers for humans. There are 19 states that have banned animal gas chambers.
That is not a fact. State your source. Everything you read is not a reliable source. You can however find out if it is a reliable source or not. American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), a reliable source, says ” animals vocalization ( this means barking, crying, howling), struggling, attempts to escape, defensive or redirected aggression,salivation,urination,defection,evacuation of anal sacs,papillary dilatation,tachycardia,sweating,and reflex skeletal muscle contractions causing shivering,tremors,or other muscular spasms” AVMA also states that animals should not be placed in the chamber together.
I wish I hadn’t read this before leaving. It’s the most awful thing in the whole world. Worse than Jews in the gas chamber in my opinion.
…because of the way it’s done. Horrible and evil and cruel. Who even is willing to do the job? I wish I hadn’t read this now. 🙁
It gets to some people who do it and they stop and go on the internet and talk about it – hence the quote in the artile. However, there are thousands of people doing this work, day in day out. Are they the right people to be working in animal rescue? The horrible truth is that if a nation is killing 4 million cats a year and it costs $35 per cat doing it humanely – although I can’t find a cost on the internet – the total bill is $140 million per year. Killing cats is expensive. Sick isn’t it? Gassing en masse is so much cheaper.
American Humane did a study in 2009. The cost is 4.98 per animal to gas and the cost of EBI (Euthanasia by Injection) is 2.29 per animal.
Why did (still do?) people gas unwanted cats and dogs if it was more expensive than a more humane method?
I am sorry Marc. Every year there is an animal massacre of gigantic proportions and it is almost invisible and totally accepted. It is a way of life.