PETITION TARGET: Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon
Dosed with a sedative, locked in a box, and struggling to breathe as carbon monoxide comes in and the body shuts down: Alarmingly, this is what dogs and cats at two Wyoming shelters may go through if they are euthanized in a gas chamber — a slow, distressing death.
If something goes wrong, the dog or cat inside the box may suffer an even longer death than necessary — while scratching at the door in fear for their life, crying out for help, or showing other “escape behaviors” before unconsciousness finally takes over, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). It’s also possible for the smells of other terrified animals to linger after their death — which could only contribute to an animal’s terror in their final moments of life.
Only two shelters in the country continue to utilize this archaic method of death to euthanize dogs and cats, and they’re both in Wyoming: Green River Animal Control and Evanston Animal Shelter.
It’s been almost two years since Evanston City Council discussed removing the gas chamber, according to Uinta County Herald. Local animal activists argued that if using the gas chamber is a humane method of euthanasia, other states would be using it.
Euthanasia by injection is considered the preferred method of humane euthanasia by the AVMA — and is the standard for euthanasia of beloved companion animals when their family is present. Shelter animals deserve the same level of care. Many shelter animals are older, scared, anxious, or have experienced previous trauma. Placing these vulnerable animals in a box to die alone — without feeling a soothing stroke of the head, calming voice, or any comfort at all — is simply not humane. Dogs and cats deserve better.
Sign our petition urging Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon to end the use of this outdated and cruel method of euthanizing shelter animals — before another dog or cat is forced to suffer a prolonged death in distress.
