All Animals Facing Euthanasia Deserve a Painless and Peaceful Death

by Steve Dale

The word euthanasia comes from the Greek, meaning, literally, a good death without fear, stress or pain. In 2011, this translates into what we can do for animals, and how veterinarians are now able to end ailing pets' lives peacefully: euthanasia by injection.

Many animal shelters also practice euthanasia by injection, but a surprising number still use antiquated gas chambers.

Often times, shelter animals are rounded up, big dogs with small dogs, cats with dogs, aggressive dogs with old or sick dogs, and the gas is turned on. Once the button is pushed, the technician high-tails it away from the room. Technicians have told me they sometimes hear screaming as they go.

I suspect the primary reason you don't read about this topic is because it's so distasteful. Animal shelter consultant and euthanasia expert Doug Fakkema has witnessed countless shelter animals killed via carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide.

"Animals struggle to desperately hold on to life. Some panic," he says. "When there are other animals present -- as there often are -- it's not unusual for attacks to occur."

Every private practicing veterinarian in America and Canada uses a technique called euthanasia by injection. This brings on a vastly different death than what shelter animals in gas chambers experience. Euthanasia by injection is quite peaceful, and some pet owners even describe it as beautiful. There's no suffering. This is an especially humane choice for pets with terminal diseases, or those so elderly that their quality of life is poor and will not improve.

A sedative is often administered first to put the animal to sleep. That's followed by an injection of Pentobarbital, which places the animal under anesthesia in a matter of seconds. At this point, the pet has lost all sensation and can no longer see, hear, smell, or feel. Within 20 seconds, the animal lapses into a coma and vital organs begin to shut down. Performed by a skilled technician, the entire process takes less then a minute. Unlike with the use of gas, the pet quickly loses consciousness, and best of all, experiences a pain-free and dignified death.

Indeed, most animals in shelters have done nothing wrong. Don't they deserve a dignified death? Even shelters using gas chambers say that pets deserve a dignified death. So, what's the problem?

Actually, even Fakkema, arguably the world's most noted expert on the topic, isn't sure. Some facilities are stuck in time, he explains, sticking with the notion that the use of gas is "the way we've always done it." Other animal shelters say they don't have the funds to pay for euthanasia by injection.

The truth is that according to a 2009 study by the American Humane Association, both euthanasia by injection and the gassing of animals costs about the same. In fact, euthanasia by injection may be less expensive.

It's true that shelter personnel require training to perform euthanasia by injection. (In some states, certification is required for this procedure.) However, once learned, the technique is actually safer when compared to having untrained volunteers and workers "fight" struggling animals to force them into gas chambers. Euthanasia by injection is also easier, psychologically, on staff.

Fakkema has been in the animal welfare world for 40 years. "If it was up to me, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide (gas chambers) would be declared illegal everywhere," he says. In fact, gas chambers remain legal in many states, including Michigan, North Carolina and Texas.

National animal welfare organizations strongly support euthanasia by injection, including the American Humane Association, which has long been out in front of this issue. Fakkema says you can make a difference by insuring that euthanasia by injection is being implemented in your community. Visit your local shelter to ask what technique is used to perform euthanasia.

Too many pets still die in animal shelters. The least we can do is provide them with a peaceful ending to what has sometimes been a tumultuous life.

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