Due to a new state law that went into effect this past January 1st, the Lafayette Animal Shelter, located in Louisiana, must now use lethal injections to euthanize homeless animals instead of placing many animals into a gas chamber (at one time) as they had been doing.
While no one wants to see any animal lose his/her life, animal advocates know using sodium pentobarbital is the preferred and more humane manner in which to euthanize an animal. Animal advocates continue to fight to see the end of using gas chambers as a means to destroy animals across the nation.
Pennsylvania finally has a new law that only permits lethal injections as the way to euthanize animals in shelters. This law was passed at the end of last year. A victory for the animals and the advocates!
Gassing is barbaric, antiquated and a most horrific way in which to euthanize animals. It can take up to 30 minutes or longer for animals to suffocate to death. Animals fight with each other. Animals of different types are placed in the same chamber. The screams are horrendous to hear. Most shelter employees who utilize the chamber typically walk away as the gas fills the chamber and the animals die an agonizing death.
Imagine my surprise when I read that the employees of the Lafayette Shelter are having a difficult time adjusting to injecting animals instead of placing them in a chamber.
“Troy Venable has worked for the shelter for nearly 21 years” and feels injecting is harder than using the death chamber. He believes it’s harder because you must “physically hold the animal and it dies in your hands. It’s a living creature that’s passing away with you. If you have any compassion, it’s very hard and it takes a toll on a person.”
Seriously, Troy, while I understand injecting an animal and watching it die peacefully isn’t for most people, how can you possibly say gassing is the better choice? Please tell me how you and others can walk away from a gas chamber and listen to the screams, howls and scratching as each tries to claw its way out of the box that is slowly killing it. How can anyone justify saying a gas chamber is more humane than injecting an animal?
It was also said that injections are more costly than using gas chambers. This is not accurate. A 2009 cost study was performed in North Carolina and proved lethal injections are less expensive, according to Animal Law Coalition.
No one wants to see any animals stuck in shelters or accept the fact that at least half of the animals will never leave a shelter except in a body bag. To suggest gassing is the preferred method is unfathomable to me.
Holding an animal as it leaves the world allow you, the technician, to show love to an animal who was no longer wanted here on earth. You have the privelege of being with an animal who doesn’t have to die alone and scared. Think of what you’re doing for that animal who is leaving this earth. He/she isn’t screaming or fighting with another animal before taking his/her final breath. That’s what a lethal injection does for that animal no one wanted.
It is people like you who make me wonder about those who enter and stay in this field. It is a very difficult position and no one said it is easy. In fact, working in an animal shelter is rated as one of the toughest jobs as far as compassion fatigue goes. You need compassion to deal with animals. If you don’t have it, working in an animal shelter is not for you.
Do you think gassing animals is easier than using the safer and more humane method of injections?
Is this guy, Troy , for real? Giving injections is harder because they can’t handle watching an animal die. They prefer to allow it die in a gas chamber where the poor animal suffers for a long period of time.
These people need to go. You need compassion and if you don’t have it in you to hold an animal to allow it to die peacefully and humanely, you DON’T belong in this field.
They’d rather see, that’s right, they walk away and don’t even listen to the howls, barking and fighting when the gas chamber turns on. They walk away and don’t care how much they suffer.
This is unbelievable. Ridiculous. Please leave the animal world and allow others who can show love and caring when an animal is dying in this most hated position.
Absurd. I can’t believe I read this.
I agree with the person on here who said if you can’t stand to see an animal euthanized and don’t care how they are euthanized, please as someone else said, leave the world of animals to all of us animal lovers (in every way leave it alone) to those who love animals and care about how they live and die!!! We have too many executive directors in shelters today who could care less about animals–it is just a job for them and the $$$$$ is what is important to them at least those who rake in a lot of money!!!! Leave animals alone and get into another career if you don’t love animals!!!!
This Troy doesn’t want to feel pain. He doesn’t want to experience what it’s like to have an animal die in your arms. How he thinks this is better than gassing isn’t hard to understand. Being able to not see or hear animals dying allows him and others the ability to not know what they’re doing to animals. Perhaps they feel if they don’t witness it, it isn’t a bad way to die. Now they’re forced to see an animal take his their last breaths.
Still comes down to the people who abandon, surrender or dump them at the shelters.
I don’t know if this job is a good fit for Troy anymore. Plus, it’s harder for a man to feel and show emotions. He has to lock the pain away.
Is this a joke?
I guess this is for real. It’s completely insane to think that gassing is easier. Easier for them. They don’t seem to care how the animals suffer in death. If they had true compassion,then they would have wanted the law changed a long time ago. If Troy has been working there for almost 21 yrs., imagine how many animals he has placed in those gas chambers and walked away while they suffered so badly before dying while the air was being sucked out of them.
I think Troy needs to do some soul-searching. Euthanizing isn’t for the faint of heart but it’s a harsh reality. Kind and caring people are needed to do this heinous job. Holding an animal as it passes from this world to the next is so comforting for the animal.
Be proud that you were the last one to show that animal any type of love.
We need to stop this pet overpopulation problem. yes, I believe in this. Thereare too many irresponsible owners and not enough people adopting. We must also stop people from buying at pet stores.
the answer is simple.
NO!!!
no animal should be euthanized at all. it’s not right.
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This profession is extremely hard. Don’t think Troy should be in it if he can’t tolerate holding an animal and providing during the last crucial moments of an animal’s life. Gassing is inhumane. I have no idea where or how they think gassing is humane. Incredible way of thinking.
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While animal advocates are working their burtts off to change this nation to no gas chambers in animal shelters, the very people who work with animals are against us. They want to use gassing over sodium pentobarbital which is the only humane manner to euthanize.
I find it appalling that anyone in this field would fight to have gas chambers.
If it hasn’t been bad enough that lawmakers take their time to make lives better for animals, we have to worry about our own.
Unreal!
Troy has never dealt with seeing an animal die. He almost had to walk away before they started screaming and fighting. Once you hear that, there’s no way you can say it’s better to gas animals than use injections.
I don’t know. I keep trying to figure this out and it makes no sense to me. Totally confused.
Animals are treated differently in the South. Before Katrina, most people didn’t fix their pets. The HSUS helped to remedy that after the massive clean-up. The shelters didn’t even require it. You have to be around the area to know what I’m saying. It doesn’t mean they love their pets less but I think they’re viewed differently than other areas of the country.
🙁 either way you look at this.
Hell no. It’s barbaric and the animals suffer immeasurable pain while suffocating to death!
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What does it mean when other states call killing pigeons and fowl in the ways they do as described, animal cruelty but come here to PA to engage in the same activity that is animal cruelty in the other states.
Animal cruelty is animal cruelty is animal cruelty but PA won’t recognize it as such.
Why are we the last state to pass a law to stop this animal cruelty???????
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I’m glad killing animals is hard for Troy. I hope it becomes harder and harder until he and his fellow workers cross to the No-Kill side and start to fight for political and legal changes and most importantly, changes in the hearts and minds of the people who live in our communities. I’m glad the law has now made it hard for Troy and the rest of the worker to walk away from the killing they participate in. The more all of us take responsibility for the animals and work to change the way they are treated, the better. We need to continue the No-Kill conversation: fix your pet!! train your pet! treat your pet with kindness not abuse! no BSL!!!
I feel it takes a strong person to deal with humanely euthanizing an animal because after all its being put to its death. But these workers should take comfort in knowing the animal dies a quick, painless death via lethal injection. To say gassing is “easier” is ludicrous!! The people that feel this way most definitely should NOT be in this profession! I could NEVER work in a facility that gasses animals! I would be traumatized & I would want to do everything in my power to stop the animals being gassed! Needless to say I’d never be hired to work in any of those places, NOR WOULD I WANT TO! I pray that all gas chambers are banned for ever! Thankfully some progress is being made, but we as a nation should not rest in peace until the use of gas chambers ends everywhere!!
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At Animal Welfare Issues.
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This makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t even fathom…
For years a blind eye and a deaf ear was turned from these voiceless innocent animals as they were sent to their death in cold-hearted cruel death. I find it hard to feel compassion for Troy now that he has to look these poor innocent animals in the face as he takes their lives. It is a horrible job no matter what method is used but at least it is now done with a little more compassion.
I have advocated for animals at this shelter because of it being a gas chamber facility and will still advocate for them until no one has to die by any method.
Maybe Troy is one of those who enjoys listening and watching innocents suffer and not getting his hands bloodied. Gas chambers should be left to the killers and rapist.
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