This petition is to urge you to vote yes on HB150. HB150 restricts the use of carbon monoxide poisoning as a method of euthanasia in animal shelters in Utah with a few exemptions. HB150 requires shelters to establish a euthanasia policy and employee training.

Several counties in Utah have successfully discontinued the use of their gas chambers, while increasing hold times and reducing their euthanasia numbers. One of the most recent shelters to accomplish amazing changes is West Valley Animal Services in Utah. After all of the attention that Andrea--a shelter cat who survived two sessions of the gas chamber and survived--has brought to West Valley, they decided to work towards achieving a no kill status. They have implemented life-saving programs such as trap/neuter/release (TNR) of feral cats, extended adoption hours, and mobile adoption events. Through these measures, West Valley Animal Shelter has seen a steady increase in their save rates, reaching numbers above 90%! In recent months they have achieved the following save rates: 90.8 percent in August, 92.3 percent in September, and 93.9 percent in December.

The American Humane Association has released a document stating that the only form of euthanasia they consider humane is EBI. This document states that gas chambers can take up to 25 minutes to cause death and that is if it is even successful during the first cycle. There have been numerous investigations nationwide where shelter employees admitted having to repeat the gassing cycles numerous times. And there are animal control officers who have come forward and have written letters and shared videos of the gas chamber in use.

There are countless other sources saying that gas chambers are inhumane. The Association of Shelter Veterinarians and the NACA have both recently condemned the use of gas chambers. The American Humane Association also presents the findings of their cost analysis. They found that EBI is only $2.98 per animal, while the carbon monoxide is $4.98 per animal.

HB150 needs to become a part of Utah legislation. Then we can quit debating on the best method of euthanasia and start focusing on how to save more lives.

I hope that you will be vote “YES” when this bill is presented for discussion again.

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