You Can Help Stop the Use of Gas Chambers In N.C. Read How

Dear Colleagues Who Will End Gas Chambers in NC,

The steering group of this campaign is happy to invite you and your friends and family to a meeting with North Carolina Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Bev Purdue's Deputy Policy Director Meghan Brown in Raleigh on August 22nd at 12:30 SHARP! The meeting will be for one hour only. We hope to also be meeting with the Republican candidate and/or his staff soon, which will be announced.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss only one issue. Our legislation to be introduced in the 2009 NC General Assembly legislative session, mandating only injection to be used to euthanize impounded dogs and cats.

The meeting will be between Ms. Brown and the following "Blue Ribbon" panel we have assembled:

A NC veterinarian
A director of a NC animal control facility who has transitioned to injection
Prof. Bill Reppy, Duke Law School (drafting the language of our legislation)
Prof. Ron Allison, Brody School of Medicine, Chair. Dept of Radiology Oncology
Alice Singh, Pres. NC Coalition for Humane Euthanasia
Katie Tyler, Board member and former Pres. of Humane Society of Charlotte

Ms. Brown has invited everyone else to attend this meeting, however, unless Ms. Brown finds an opportunity to seek the input of the audience, which she has indicated that she would welcome, only the blue ribbon panel will speak at the meeting, and everyone else will listen to the discussion.

Attached are the White and Black Papers and a Cost Analysis, which will be submitted to Ms. Brown and the NC Lieutenant Governor to review prior to the meeting with Ms. Purdue.

We urge everyone to attend, including children and grandparents, as we need to show that the general public, not merely the animal community, demands that the barbarism of gas chamber torture killing be ended in NC once and for all, upon whose success we can then take this campaign to the United States Congress for a national law.

PLEASE RSVP AT WHICH TIME WE WILL ADVISE YOU OF THE LOCATION IN RALEIGH.

Cordially,


Garo Alexanian
Companion Animal NetworkTV



Companion Animal Network (“C.A.N.”) has advised, among other municipalities, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, New York State Senator Frank Padavan, and numerous other public officials on animal control policies and has been acknowledged by the New York City Council with Resolution #985 for educating its members on the animal control problems of New York City. C.A.N. was the architect of the reforms in animal control which came about as a result in New York City, which consequently brought $15 million in grants to its animal control services.

Garo Alexanian
Companion Animal NetworkTV





CARBON MONOXIDE VERSUS SODIUM PENTOBARBITAL COST ANALYSIS WORKSHEET


Note: The current standard for CO euthanasia requires a backup method (typically sodium pentobarbital) for animals less than
16 weeks of age or sick. Although the cost of backup adds to the overall cost of CO and is not calculated in this model, this
additional cost would be partially offset due to fewer CO cycles necessary (thus less gas/labor costs), since some animals will
be euthanized using the backup method.

Original model prepared by the Humane Society of the United States, Great Lakes Regional Office, based on the Animal Euthanasia Cost Analysis Work Sheet developed at Texas A & M University November 1991.


CARBON MONOXIDE EQUIPMENT COST
LINE DESCRIPTION/COST FORMULA
1 Original cost of unit: $20,000 Usable life: 10 years
2 CO room sensor cost: $500 Usable life: 10 years
3 Depreciation, Annual: $2050 cost of unit (line 1) + cost of sensor (line 2)  usable life (10 years)
4 Depreciation, Daily: $7.88 annual depreciation (line 3)  working days per year (260)
5 Average number (#) of animals per day euthanized: 14 total # of animal euthanized: 3782 (2058 dogs/1727 cats)  working days per year (260)
6 Depreciation cost per animal: $0.56 daily depreciation (line 4)  animals per day euthanized (line 5)
7 Maintenance cost per animal: $0.13 maintenance cost per year: $500  animals per year euthanized (3782)
8 Equipment cost per animal: $0.69 depreciation cost per animal (line 6) + maintenance cost (line 7)
CARBON MONOXIDE LABOR COST
9 # of employees required to process: 1
10 Average single processing period: 30 minutes 4 minutes load and start + 20 minutes operating cycle + 6 minutes unload and clean
11 Average # of animals per cycle: 6 animals (4-5 dogs or 10 cats) depends on size of unit — use strictly according to manufacturer's recommendations. NOTE: OVERLOADING CHAMBER WILL RESULT IN INHUMANE DEATH
12 Average total processing period: 60 minutes average # of animals euthanized (line 5)  # of animals per cycle (line 11) Note: round up to next higher #  processing period (30 minutes) (line 10)
13 Labor cost per minute: $0.23 average hourly wage: $14  60 minutes
14 Total labor cost for entire processing period: $13.80 labor cost per minute (line 13)  processing time (line 12)
15 Labor cost per animal: $0.99 labor cost for processing (line 14)  # of animals euthanized per day (line 5)
CARBON MONOXIDE SUPPLY COST
16 Cost per CO cylinder: $103 cost of gas $103 per cylinder
17 # of cylinders used per year: 45 cylindersplus cylinder rental $103 x 45= $ 4635 + $291.60 cylinder rental ( .27 cents per day x 3 cylinders x 360 days = 291.60) total $ 4926.60
18 Total cost of CO: $ 4926.60per year cost per cylinder (line 16)  # of cylinders (line 17) PLUS cylinder rentals
19 # of cycles per year: 606 cycles average # of animals euthanized per day (line 5)  # of animals per cycle (line 11) Note: round up to next higher #  # of work days (260)
20 Gas cost per cycle: $ 8.13 total cost of CO (line 18)  # of cycles per year (line 19) NOTE: 6% concentration required
21 Gas cost per animal: $1.35 gas cost per cycle (line 20)  # of animals per cycle (line 11)
CARBON MONOXIDE TOTAL COST
22 Total cost per animal: $ 3.03 equipment cost (line 8) + labor cost (line 15) + supply cost (line 21)



Note: Wage per hour of only one AC officer included, although euthanasia is normally performed by at least two officers.
Version 1: Veterinarian with one assistant performing Euthanasia by Injection

SODIUM PENTOBARBITAL EQUIPMENT COST
1 Equipment cost: $500 floor safe ($250) + table ($50) + electric clippers ($100) + squeeze gate ($100)
2 Usable life: 10 years
3 Depreciation, Annual: $50 cost ($500) (line 1)  usable life (10 years) (line 2)
4 Depreciation, Daily: $0.19 annual depreciation ($50) (line 3)  working days per year (260)
5 Average # of animals euthanized per day: 14 total # of animals euthanized: 3782  working days per year (260)
6 Depreciation cost per animal: $0.013 daily depreciation ($0.19) (line 4)  animals euthanized per day (line 5)
7 Maintenance cost per animal: $0.00 no projected maintenance cost
8 Total equipment cost per animal: $0.013 depreciation cost per animal (line 6) + maintenance cost (line 7)
SODIUM PENTOBARBITAL LABOR COST
9 A. # of employees required to process IV: 2B. # of employees required to process IP: 1 NOTE: ONE EMPLOYEE CAN PROCESS AN ADULT DOG IF PRE-EUTHANASIA DRUGS ARE USED
10 A. # of IV injections: 1749B. # of IP injections: 2036 A. 1749= 2058 dogs less estimated # of puppies 309 (15%)B. 2036 = 1727 cats + estimated # of puppies (309) (15%)
11 Average single processing period: 2 minutes transport to euthanasia room + preparation and injection + verification of death + removal of carcass + record keeping NOTE: average time to process cats, kittens and puppies (ip injections) will be much less than 2 minutes each.
12 # of animals per single processing period: 1
13 Total processing time: 28 minutes # of animals per day (line 5) 14  single processing period (2 minutes) (line 11)
14 Labor cost per dog (IV): $1.80 Veterinarian $ 40 per hourSecond worker $14 per hour estimated$54  60 minutes  # of employees required to process (2) (line 9 A)  2 (# of minutes to process) (line 11)
15 Labor cost per cat, kitten, puppy, etc. (IP): $1.80 hourly wage: $54  60 minutes  # of employees required to process (1 or 2) (line 9 B)  2 (# of minutes to process) (line 11)
16 Total annual labor cost for processing (IV): $ 3148 labor cost per dog (line 14)  # of dog (IV) injections (line 10 A)
17 Total annual labor cost for processing (IP): $ 3665 labor cost per cat, kitten, puppy, etc. (IP) (line 15)  # of IP injections (line 10 B)
18 Average labor cost per animal: $ 1.80 total annual labor cost (IV) (line 16) + total annual labor cost (IP) (line 17)  annual # of animals euthanized (3782)
SODIUM PENTOBARBITAL SUPPLY COST
19 Sodium pentobarbital cost per 250 ml bottle: $35.55
20 Cost per ml (cc): $0.14 cost of bottle ($35.55)  250 ml
21 Average dose per animal: 5 ml 50 pound dog
22 Sodium pentobarbital cost per animal: $0.71 cost per bottle ($35.55)  doses per bottle (50) (based on average 50 pound dog)
23 Syringe cost per animal: $0.012 syringe (6 ml) cost: $12 per 100 ($0.12 each) estimates 10 uses per syringe
24 Needle cost per animal: $0.038 needle (22 ga.) cost: $3.80 per 100 (one use only)
25 Cost per animal for pre-euthanasia drug: $2.65 5:1 ratio of ketamine/xylazine (100 mg) per 50 pound dog as needed (estimate 1 adult dog in 25)
26 No. of dogs needing pre-euthanasia anesthesia: 70 total # of adult dogs euthanized: 1749  .04
27 Total cost of pre-euthanasia drug: $185.50 cost per animal ($2.65) (line 25)  # of dogs needing pre-euthanasia drug (line 26)
28 Average cost per total animals euthanized for pre-euthanasia drug: $0.06 total cost of pre-euthanasia drug (line 27)  total # of animals euthanized
29 Per use cost of needle/syringe for pre-euthanasia drug: $0.05 cost of syringe ($0.012) (line 23) + needle ($0.038) (line 24)
30 Total cost of needle/syringe for pre-euthanasia drug: $ 4.15 cost of needle/syringe (line 29)  # of dogs needing pre-euthanasia anesthesia (line 26)
31 Average cost per total animals for needle/syringe for pre-euthanasia drug $.0013 total cost of needle/syringe (line 30)  total # of animals euthanized
32 Total supply cost per animal: $ .82 sodium pentobarbital per animal (line 22) + syringe (line 23) + needle (line 24) + pre-euthanasia drug (line 28) + pre-euthanasia needle/syringe (line 31)
SODIUM PENTOBARBITAL TOTAL COST
33 Total cost per animal: $ 2.63(Veterinarian performing injections with one assistant) equipment cost per animal(line 8) + labor cost per animal (line 18) + supply cost per animal (line 32)
SUMMARY
34 Cost per year: Carbon Monoxide: $ 11,459 cost per animal (CO line 22) $3.03  # of animals euthanized: 3782
35 Cost per year: Sodium Pentobarbital: $ 9947(Veterinarian performing injections with one assistant) cost per animal (line 33) $2.63  # of animals euthanized: 3782




Version 2: Veterinary technician with one assistant

SODIUM PENTOBARBITAL LABOR COST
A. # of employees required to process IV: 2B. # of employees required to process IP: 1 NOTE: ONE EMPLOYEE CAN PROCESS AN ADULT DOG IF PRE-EUTHANASIA DRUGS ARE USED
10 A. # of IV injections: 1686 B. # of IP injections: 1395 A. 1686= 1984 dogs less estimated # of puppies 298 (15%)B. 1395 = 1097 cats + estimated # of puppies (298)
11 Average single processing period: 2 minutes transport to euthanasia room + preparation and injection + verification of death + removal of carcass + record keeping NOTE: average time to process cats, kittens and puppies (ip injections) will be much less than 2 minutes each.
12 # of animals per single processing period: 1
13 Total processing time: 24 minutes # of animals per day (line 5) 12  single processing period (2 minutes) (line 11)
14 Labor cost per dog (IV): $.97 Vet tech $ 15 per hourSecond worker $14 per hour estimated$54  60 minutes  # of employees required to process (2) (line 9 A)  2 (# of minutes to process) (line 11)
15 Labor cost per cat, kitten, puppy, etc. (IP): $.97 hourly wage: $54  60 minutes  # of employees required to process (1 or 2) (line 9 B)  2 (# of minutes to process) (line 11)
16 Total annual labor cost for processing (IV): $ 1635 labor cost per dog (line 14)  # of dog (IV) injections (line 10 A)
17 Total annual labor cost for processing (IP): $ 1353 labor cost per cat, kitten, puppy, etc. (IP) (line 15)  # of IP injections (line 10 B)
18 Average labor cost per animal: $ .97 total annual labor cost (IV) (line 16) + total annual labor cost (IP) (line 17)  annual # of animals euthanized (3081)
SODIUM PENTOBARBITAL SUPPLY COST
19 Sodium pentobarbital cost per 250 ml bottle: $35.55 (Pentasol)
20 Cost per ml (cc): $0.14 cost of bottle ($35.55)  250 ml (Pentasol)
21 Average dose per animal: 5 ml 50 pound dog
22 Sodium pentobarbital cost per animal: $0.71 cost per bottle ($35.55)  doses per bottle (50) (based on average 50 pound dog)
23 Syringe cost per animal: $0.012 syringe (6 ml) cost: $12 per 100 ($0.12 each) estimates 10 uses per syringe
24 Needle cost per animal: $0.038 needle (22 ga.) cost: $3.80 per 100 (one use only)
25 Cost per animal for pre-euthanasia drug: $2.65 5:1 ratio of ketamine/xylazine (100 mg) per 50 pound dog as needed (estimate 1 adult dog in 25 — not needed for cats)
26 No. of dogs needing pre-euthanasia anesthesia: 67 total # of adult dogs euthanized: 1686  .04
27 Total cost of pre-euthanasia drug: $177 cost per animal ($2.65) (line 25)  # of dogs needing pre-euthanasia drug (line 26)
28 Average cost per total animals euthanized for pre-euthanasia drug: $0.057 total cost of pre-euthanasia drug (line 27)  total # of animals euthanized
29 Per use cost of needle/syringe for pre-euthanasia drug: $0.05 cost of syringe ($0.012) (line 23) + needle ($0.038) (line 24)
30 Total cost of needle/syringe for pre-euthanasia drug: $ 3.81 cost of needle/syringe (line 29)  # of dogs needing pre-euthanasia anesthesia (line 26)
31 Average cost per total animals for needle/syringe for pre-euthanasia drug $.001 total cost of needle/syringe (line 30)  total # of animals euthanized
32 Total supply cost per animal: $ .81 sodium pentobarbital per animal (line 22) + syringe (line 23) + needle (line 24) + pre-euthanasia drug (line 28) + pre-euthanasia needle/syringe (line 31)
SODIUM PENTOBARBITAL TOTAL COST
33 Total cost per animal: $ 1.78 Vet Tech +assistant equipment cost per animal(line 8) + labor cost per animal (line 18) +supply cost per animal (line 32)



Source of cost for Pentasol, (sodium pentobarbital): Virbac Animal Health.
Wages per hour and cost of medical supplies provided by veterinarian
34 Cost per year: Carbon Monoxide: $ 11,459 cost per animal $3.03 (CO version line 33)  # of animals euthanized: 3782
35 Cost per year: Sodium Pentobarbital: $ 9947(Veterinarian performing injections with one assistant) cost per animal $2.63( Vet version line 33)  # of animals euthanized: 3782
36 Cost per year: Sodium Pentobarbital: $ 6731 (Veterinary technician with one assistant) cost per animal euthanized $1.78(Vet tech version, line 33)  # of animals euthanized: 3782


Often made arguments in favor of alternative manner of euthanasia other than injection:


1) Dangerous animals are too risky to hold to locate a vein to inject.

Answer: This is an argument favored by those municipal pound directors who seek reasons to not update their manner of euthanasia. A properly operated shelter has properly trained euthanasia technicians who know the techniques involved in calming down, restraining, or sedating both feral and dangerous animals. Many common restraint methods do not require kennel workers to handle animals themselves. These include restraint poles, squeeze gates, and syringe poles. Animals can be anesthetized with an intramuscular injection, followed by Sodium Pentobarbital once the animal is unconscious. Moreover, this argument is an admission that the staff at many municipal animal pounds are simply not provided any training and are given employment when not qualified to be in this field. The great majority of the 50 states predominantly or exclusively use injection, as do 63 of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Accepting this argument would mean that only the dogs and cats in the 37 counties of NC who refuse to use injection are much more dangerous than the other 63 counties and the rest of the country. On its face this is an irrational argument.

2) It is easier for the kennel personnel to do their difficult jobs when not personalizing the animal and permitting them to use catch poles to stuff them into steaming or freezing gas boxes.

Answer: This is an argument favored by kennel workers in animal pounds which refuse to switch to injection. Every study has shown that kennel personnel far prefer to be kindly euthanizing dogs and cats while petting them. This argument attempts to make a case to permit kennel personnel to commit cruelty with impunity so that they do not feel any guilt for the cruel manner in which they choke, stomp, stuff and euthanize dogs and cats. The crux of this argument is that the conscience and guilt feelings of kennel employees are mitigated when such terror perpetuated upon former family pets are condoned by state laws.

3) Rules by the Commissioner of Agriculture would be an improvement over the present and would provide state oversight of municipal animal pounds for the first time.

Answer: This is an argument favored by the Commissioner of Agriculture. The realities of government being what they are, especially when it comes to enforcing animal related laws, much less rules, it is unrealistic to claim that the state would ever be inclined to or be able to commit sufficient resources to properly scrutinize the day to day operations of up to 100 municipal pounds. In California, prior to eliminating the gas chambers by state statute, the Bureau of Measurements and Standards had failed to inspect the 26 shelters still using gas chambers as required by State law every six months. Consequently, the majority of those chambers were not functioning properly and as a result many kennel workers were getting lung cancers and other illnesses, and animals were suffering untold tortures. The state Bureau of audits finally caught this failure of government, censured and fined the Bureau and the Department of Agriculture. The fear of law suits and public outcry hastened the California Legislature to outlaw all gas chambers by state law. The exact same “oversight” has been repeatedly committed by the NC Agriculture Department, who has failed to timely inspect many NC gas chambers. Therefore, rules would never be able to be adequately enforced. Moreover, the enforcement of any rules would be put at the discretion of a “chain” of command at the Agriculture Department, which includes the Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner, the Deputy Assistant Commissioner, the state veterinarian, the counsel, and the inspector, any one of which could “sabotage” the enforcement of any rules by simply setting a policy of not enforcing rules or even whitewashing clear violations.

4) Injection euthanasia would be too expensive for the municipality

This is another time and time again proven blatantly false statement. This argument is favored by municipal government administrations. Cost comparison studies done by the ASPCA, euthanasia expert Doug Fakkema, the American Humane Association and others have consistently shown that the costs are virtually the same (annexed). The only difference is that at the transition point the costs associated with sending kennel personnel to training to utilize proper sedation and injection techniques is a one time expense. The cost comparison studies have always included this one time training expense and even including this expense, the costs are the same. Grants are even sometimes available for such training. Please see attached cost comparison study from the Humane Society of the United States, based upon Texas A & M University study.

5) Pentobarbital is a DEA controlled substance and can get diverted in the possession of municipal animal pounds

Nationally very little pentobarbital is diverted. This is the argument favored by Dr. Lee Hunter, the NC Agriculture Department veterinarian. As with any controlled substance, pentobarbital’s use is not banned in even a single state merely because a fraction of a fraction may eventually get diverted. There are hundreds of other DEA controlled drugs which are used by medical facilities, and the “fear” of diversion has never been substantial to warrant sacrificing the gain from their benefits. The risk of a tiny amount of “theoretically possible” diversion vs. the benefit of bringing North Carolina’s animal pounds into the modern era, and sparing hundreds of thousands of animals every year a tortuous death reminiscent of only the horrors of World War II, should be self-evident.

6) North Carolina does not have a “direct-purchasing” law, and thereby municipal animal pounds cannot purchase pentobarbital. They must use a veterinarian to purchase it, which not only makes it very expensive but also veterinarians are hesitant to permit the DEA controlled drug purchased under their license to be used and stored by the municipal animal pound and administered by euthanasia technicians

While a “work-around” to the lack of a direct purchasing law in NC has been utilized by 63 NC municipal animal pounds who exclusively use injection, this argument has been relied upon by some municipalities as a justification to not switch to injection. A direct-purchase law should abate their objections against mandating injection euthanasia. A direct purchase law is in effect in 31 other states. There is already pending legislation in NC for direct-purchase.

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