PROBLEM 7: Veterinarians Are Not Properly Equipped to Perform Humane Euthanasia and Are Not Visiting the Pounds Often Enough

The Standard:
Veterinarians/veterinary technicians require that animals be properly and humanely restrained on an elevated surface for euthanasia. Needles must be of the gauge and length appropriate for the size of the animal. Euthanasia-strength sodium pentobarbital is administered intravenously, except in the case of a wild animal, in which case the injection may be given by intraperitoneal route (into the abdominal cavity) or intravenously following the administration of a suitable tranquilizer. Needles must be checked for barbs and faults before being used, and needles cannot be used on more than one animal. The drug must be potent enough to render the animal unconscious immediately. The animal must be checked to assure death before being disposed of.

The Reality:
There is a roster of veterinarians arranged by local authorities in many of the pounds. Their visits are too infrequent to effectively assist with sick and injured dogs who arrive between their site visits, and workers seem not to know to call a veterinarian in cases of emergency. Some veterinarians are "treating" animals for mange when the cases are too far gone and it is unrealistic to postpone the suffering dog's euthanasia, given that no one will adopt the animal and that the animal is a contagion risk to others sharing the same pen or cage.

Veterinarians do not all seem to be using sodium pentobarbital, although the government has made this appropriate drug available. The potency of the pentobarbital we saw used at Yin Ko was weak and must have been surgical-strength rather than euthanasia-strength, which is thoroughly inappropriate. Veterinarians do not seem to have the number and size of needles most suitable for small and medium-sized dogs (i.e., 1 1/2 inch needles of 23 and 22 gauge), and needles are far too thick and long to make intravenous injection easy and stress for a dog smaller than a full-grown mastiff. It was our observation that needles were not checked for barbs and no effort was made to ensure death before bodies were disposed of. Without our insistence that the injection be given intravenously, adult dogs would have been given stomach shots. These do not result in immediate loss of consciousness and the dogs were likely to have cried and caused stress in other dogs as they lost control of their ability to control their movements.

At Keelung, veterinarians lacking competent handlers seemed content to administer injections to dogs held down on the ground and through cage bars in full view of other dogs, increasing all of the dogs' unnecessary anxiety.

The Solution:
Veterinarians need to be available to the pounds far more often. Pound managers must be required to call veterinarians to the site to put suffering animals out of their misery and to prevent overcrowding. Veterinarians must be equipped with proper size and gauge needles, and must insist on humane restraint of animals so as to allow them to correctly administer intravenous injections. Sodium pentobarbital must be the drug used and the strength of the solution must be 1 cc per 10 lbs. (euthanasia-strength). Animals must be checked for death with a stethoscope or by use of a heart needle before being disposed of.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) provides free training in pound euthanasia practices specifically for veterinarians.

The ROC government has cooperated with HSUS, and some officials have attended a training camp in Hawaii. However, even upon their return, some officials are still reluctant to touch any of the dogs at the pounds.