Protest calls to ban gas chambers at Utah animal shelter

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah — Animal advocates have renewed a name to motion to ban gas chamber animal euthanasia within the state of Utah.

Protestors lined up outdoors the Pleasant Grove Police Department on Thursday, holding indicators calling for the ban. The group was impressed to act after a canine, Penguin, was euthanized earlier this month.

Heather Smith, who runs her personal canine rescue out of Michigan, says her mother needed to undertake Penguin, and requested Heather to pull him from the shelter.

Smith says she met all the required necessities to undertake the canine and even lined up transportation. However, she came upon Penguin was killed earlier than he even bought the possibility to get a brand new house, having been put in a gas chamber that shelter leaders dedicated to phasing out of final summer time.

When Smith questioned why Penguin was killed, she says the shelter instructed her he started to act aggressive; a declare she questions based mostly on her personal expertise working with canine.

“Because [the worker] told me he became vicious, in just a couple weeks. I work with aggressive dogs daily and dogs don’t just become aggressive in a few weeks,” mentioned Smith.

Gas chamber euthanasia at animal shelters is uncommon, with Utah being one in all a handful of states that also permit the observe.

During the process, the animal is positioned right into a small enclosure and carbon monoxide is launched. It takes considerably longer to euthanize in contrast to deadly injection.

“You can hardly fit a dog in it, they suffocate, they get dizzy, they aspirate,” mentioned Smith.

Tug Gettling, the director of the North Utah Valley Animal Shelter, one in all solely two shelters within the state that also use gas, has been quoted prior to now saying the tactic is safer for workers.

However, the antiquated observe is one thing legislators tried to ban within the final session, however failed.

Connie Whiting, an area animal advocate, says final June the North Utah Valley Animal Shelter director dedicated to phasing out of utilizing the gas chamber.

“We are here because of the gas chamber that Tug Gettling will not destroy, he said he’d dismantle it, and he hasn’t,” mentioned Whiting.

FOX 13 News reached out to the North Utah Valley Animal Shelter, however have but to obtain a response.

At a board assembly final month, the shelter confirmed it now meets necessities to buy gear and substances for euthanasia by injection, and dedicated to making the transition final August.