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Bill bans dog, cat euthanasia by suffocation

Posted March 13, 2008 11:00 pm

Meagan Sexton

Legislation prohibiting certain forms of animal euthanasia was approved by an Illinois House committee Thursday.

Rep. John Fritchey, D-Chicago, is sponsoring House Bill 4844, which would forbid killing stray dogs and cats by using a decompression chamber that lowers oxygen pressure, suffocating the animals.

The legislation also would ban gassing the animals to death by pumping carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide into a container or chamber.

"We are hearing stories from around the state of facilities that are putting cats and dogs in large numbers into crates and gassing them to put them down," Fritchey said.

The House Judiciary Criminal Law Committee voted 9-3 for the bill, which now moves to the full House.

Fritchey contends that euthanasia by lethal injection is the only humane way to kill a domesticated animal.

But Terry Steczo, a spokesman for the Illinois State Veterinarian Association, argued that gassing animals isn't always inhumane. There could be circumstances where, as a last resort, carbon monoxide or a decompression chamber has to be used, he said.

"Imagine an animal that's sick, injured and in pain ... where perhaps the veins are collapsed, or they're very dangerous," Steczo said. "Animals experiencing pain and suffering can be very, very dangerous. You may not be able to inject them, which would be the preferred method. Sometimes people say, 'Put the drugs in their food.' However, when an animal is injured and in pain, they don't feel like eating."

He noted that the American Veterinary Medical Association, Humane Society and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals accept gassing as a humane procedure.

Fritchey said he plans on working with Steczo and ASPCA to rework the legislation to include this type of euthanasia as a last resort.

Ledy Vankavage, senior director of legal training and legislation for ASPCA, said the organization doesn't prefer euthanasia by gas because there have been instances where animals have come out of the gas chamber alive.

Vankavage referred to a case in St. Louis where a dog named Quentin survived a gas chamber unharmed. She added that some dogs survive but are left with severe brain damage.

"It's a very, very imprecise measure," she said.

Joelynda Conrad, Christian County's animal control warden, said her agency tries to find homes for the animals it finds.

"This (euthanasia) is a last resort," she said. "I have no problem putting down an animal that would bite someone or has an anger-management problem, but we try to keep other animals as long as we can."

Conrad said she doesn't agree with gas-chamber practices but understands why some animal control facilities choose to do it.

She added that people shouldn't feel bad about having to euthanize sick or elderly pets.

"It's the gift of not having to suffer," she said.

Greg Largent, director of operations for Sangamon County Animal Control, said that in 2006, more than 2,800 animals were euthanized by the local facility, and the figure looked to be about the same in 2007.

Meagan Sexton can be reached at (217) 782-6882.

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