September 8, 2015
Commissioner XXXX
31 Division Street
Coldwater, MI 49036
(517) 279-4301
Commissioner XXXX:
Euthanasia by Injection (EBI) is considered the most humane way for any animal to be
euthanized; when performed properly by trained personnel, it is painless, and begins to take
effect within seconds.
Inexplicably, though, despite having the tools available to provide EBI, and despite the fact that
every national sheltering, veterinary and animal welfare organization agrees that the gas chamber
does not meet best practices for the industry, Branch County still uses this outdated, costly, and
inhumane method. And it is the LAST county in Michigan to do so. As a longtime taxpaying
citizen of Branch County, I find this nothing less than appalling.
There are a myriad of reasons that Branch County must stop using the gas chamber. The gas
chamber is inhumane, taking up to an agonizing 25 minutes to end an animal’s life. Carbon
monoxide is extremely hazardous to humans, and shelter workers have been injured and even
killed by malfunctioning gas chambers. Studies have shown that EBI costs less than using a gas
chamber—an extremely important consideration in these tough economic times. And animals
that are old, sick, or very young cannot be effectively euthanized in a gas chamber because of
physiological complications. Simply put, there are no valid reasons for continuing to use the gas
chamber in our animal control shelter.
We love our pets, and we want our shelters to be safe and compassionate havens for those who
are lost and homeless. I hope that you will act swiftly to ensure that when Branch County animal
control rebuilds, gas chamber use is eliminated. We have a very low euthanasia rate and a chance
for Branch County animal control to be spectacular. As long as a gas chamber lingers there, it
will never be a facility our community can be proud of.
Thank you,
Jon Smith
111 Smith Avenue
Quincy, MI
(517) 333-3333