Utah Bans Gas Chambers for Euthanasia of Cats and Dogs
Utah signs landmark bill mandating the use of humane euthanasia methods in animal shelters, following years of advocacy and education efforts by animal advocacy organizations.
Utah has become the latest state to prohibit the use of gas chambers for the euthanasia of cats and dogs in a major step forward for companion animals.
Governor Spencer Cox signed the bill S.B. 108 on Friday 17 March, putting an end to an outdated and inhumane practice that has been widely criticized by animal rights advocates.
With Utah's move, only two states in the United States, Missouri and Wyoming, still allow the use of gas chambers for euthanasia. Currently, there are only three known and active gas chambers for companion animals in the country.
“Death in a gas chamber can be terrifying and slow,” said Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) in a statement. “The animals are placed in a small, dark box and might remain conscious for several minutes, trying desperately to find a way out.
“They sometimes convulse before losing consciousness, and death can be especially slow to come for animals who are very young, very old or sick,” she added.
A gas chamber previously used in an animal shelter. Credit: HSUS
Not only are gas chambers a cruel and inhumane method of euthanasia for cats and dogs, but they also pose a significant risk to the safety of shelter staff, according to Block. Multiple organizations, including the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, have condemned the use of gas chambers due to the potential for injury and accidental gas inhalation.
Under the new bill, called the Animal Shelter Revisions, shelters in Utah are mandated to use euthanasia by injection, and must establish policies and training for euthanasia procedures, along with documentation of that training. Experts say that injections are cheaper, less painful for animals and safer for employees.
However, an exception has been included in the legislation for animal control officers to euthanize animals in emergency situations outside of shelters using the "most humane method available to the officer."
“[Gas chamber euthanasia] is the least humane method to euthanize an animal and we shouldn’t use the least humane method in our state,” said Utah State Representative, Mike McKell.
Widespread support
Actor and animal rights activist Katherine Heigl was among the prominent advocates of the bill. The Utah native voiced her support during a news conference at the state Capitol, as well as in a national magazine op-ed the year prior.
During the news conference, Heigl expressed her love and gratitude for her home state of Utah, but also voiced her concern about the use of gas chambers for euthanizing animals, calling it "a bit of a black mark on this incredibly sacred place." She also drew attention to the suffering that this method of euthanasia causes, stating that it can take up to 20-30 minutes for the animal to die, and describing how the animals "fight and claw, and fight with each other to try and get out. It's a painful process."
The issue was also championed by the HSUS Utah state director, Sundays Hunt, and their lobbyist Steve Hiatt.
“This victory is a testament to our years of constant, steady work educating Utahans, bringing together powerful voices like Senator Michael McKell and Katherine Heigl, and never giving up this fight for our state companion animals that deserve humane treatment throughout their lives and certainly at the end,” said Hunt, who’s been leading the efforts to outlaw gas chambers since 2014.
“Honoring companion animals should come with a commitment to ensure that they are treated with compassion during every stage of their lives,” said Block. “While we recognize that there will always be a need to end the suffering of animals who are experiencing untreatable and severe conditions, we believe humans have an obligation to offer animals a painless death, not the horror of a gas chamber.
“We congratulate Utah on taking this important step to eliminate this practice, and we won’t rest until all gas chambers are closed down. There just isn’t a place for them in the humane world we are trying to create.”
How You Can Help: Adopt Don’t Shop
Shelters across the United States are overflowing with dogs and cats in desperate need of a home. Despite this, pet shops and breeders continue to force breed animals for profit, creating a vicious cycle of overpopulation.
This not only puts a strain on animal shelters and rescue organizations, but it also means that for every animal that is purchased from a breeder or pet shop, a homeless or shelter animal could have been saved instead.
The high number of animals in shelters means that many are at risk of being euthanized simply because there is not enough space or resources to care for them all - and in states where gas chambers are still legal, they may suffer a terrifying and painful death.
Individuals have the power to make a difference by choosing to adopt animals from shelters and rescue organizations rather than purchasing from pet shops and breeders. By doing so, we can help reduce the number of homeless and shelter animals and give them the loving homes they deserve.
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