PETA's First Letter to Yadkin County Officials

March 27, 2002

Cecil Wood, County Manager
Yadkin County Manager’s Office
P.O. Box 146
Yadkinville, NC 27055

Dear Mr. Wood:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an international nonprofit organization with more than 750,000 members and supporters dedicated to the protection of animals. We are writing with regard to allegations reported to us by many concerned residents of Yadkinville that conditions for animals at the Yadkin County animal shelter are woefully inadequate.

We are in receipt of documentation and photographs of the current facility depicting what is essentially a dilapidated collection of wire-and-wood cages with metal roofs that appear cramped and filthy. These cages seem to offer little, if any, protection from the elements, leaving animals susceptible to harsh wind, freezing temperatures, rain, and snow as well as intense, scorching heat. Witnesses allege that small, weak animals are housed in cages with aggressive large animals, resulting in bullying of the smaller animals and their inability to seek food and water.

We understand that food bowls are not used at the facility and that food provided to the animals is thrown on the ground, subsequently intermingling with feces, urine, dirt, and water, thereby creating a health hazard for the animals. The water buckets provided for the animals appear too tall for small dogs to reach.

According to the 2001-02 Annual Budget Report for Yadkin County, no money was spent on training for the animal control staff or on veterinarian fees. May we please have your assurance that this disturbing news does not mean sick and injured animals at the facility are routinely deprived of medical care?

In addition, we understand that all animals at the shelter are killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, regardless of their age and physical condition. Even the best carbon monoxide equipment can fail to detect an inconsistent concentration of carbon monoxide in the chamber and can cause fully conscious animals the horror of watching others suffer from convulsions and muscular spasms as they slowly die. Old, young, and sick animals are particularly susceptible to gas-related trauma, as they breathe and circulate oxygen and carbon monoxide differently than healthy adult animals, causing a resistance to hypoxia (oxygen deficiency). For these animals, death by carbon monoxide poisoning is slow and highly stressful, and therefore unacceptable.

Also unacceptable is the Yadkin County animal shelter’s practice of cramming one animal on top of another in the gas chamber and putting in the chamber on top of dead and dying ones. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) agree that gas chambers should not be overcrowded. In fact, according to the 2000 Report by the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia—the veterinary medical authority on euthanasia—“the CO chamber must be of the highest quality construction and should allow for separation of individual animals.”

It may be of interest to you to know that carbon monoxide is hazardous to personnel because of its toxicity and difficulty to detect. In March of 2000, a technician in Chattanooga, Tenn., died from accidental inhalation of carbon monoxide gas while he was killing animals. According to The Humane Society of the United States, “Carbon monoxide is a hazardous substance considered especially dangerous because it is odorless, tasteless, colorless, and explosive. Repeated exposure to CO, even at low levels, can result in many serious long-term effects including (but not limited to) cancer, infertility, and heart disease.”

A study conducted by the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society in September 2000 concluded that for a jurisdiction euthanizing 10,000 animals per year, the yearly cost of gassing averages $13,230 (excluding the cost of intravenous injection as a back-up method) and that the yearly cost of euthanasia by intravenous injection averages $12,700. For Yadkin County, which might euthanize 1,000 to 2,000 animals a year, these figures would be divided by 10, resulting in an approximate yearly cost of between $1,323 and $2,646 for gassing and between $1,270 and $2,540 for euthanasia by injection, a small but noticeable reduction.

The many limitations of carbon monoxide make the method less practical, considerably slower, and more expensive than lethal injection. We, along with the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Animal Control Association, The Humane Society of the United States, the American Humane Association, and the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights, concur that an intravenous injection of sodium pentobarbital (for puppies and kittens, it may be appropriate to use an intraperitoneal injection) is the kindest, most civilized and respectful method of killing animals. If performed by caring, well-trained people—one who quietly holds the animal and another who carefully injects the solution—this method of euthanasia provides a painless, peaceful death.

Along with the many Yadkin County residents who have called us, PETA strongly encourages the commissioners of Yadkin County to allocate the necessary funds to better serve the public and the animals of this area, and we urge you to provide the necessary resources to build and maintain a proper shelter. Simply put, it is the responsibility of local government to provide humane care for lost, stray, or abandoned animals in the community, and taxpayers rightfully expect their county government to provide such care. A good animal control policy is also responsible public policy. We understand that Yadkin County has budget limitations, but it is unacceptable to place animal control at the “bottom of the list” when considering the allocation of funds.

We would like to help develop an arrangement with a local veterinarian to perform euthanasia. As we are sure you agree, lost, abused, or homeless animals deserve to spend what may be the final days of their lives in a humane shelter that provides comfort and adequate care. We hope you will allow PETA to assist you in your efforts to improve conditions at the Yadkin County shelter. For your information, I am enclosing articles about necessary shelter policies and animal control programs in small towns.

May we hear from you on this issue? Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,


Bryan Stewart, Cruelty Caseworker
Domestic Animals Issues & Abuse Department

Enclosures