Claiming euthanasia by gas chamber to be inhumane, a group opposing the use of gas chambers in Wyoming wants the city to move away from euthanizing animals at its animal shelter in this manner.
A spokesperson for Wyoming Against Gas Chambers, Madhu Anderson, spoke to the Green River City Council Tuesday evening to highlight the practice. Anderson said the practice is not only inhumane and cruel, but also causes physical and psychological stress on animal shelter workers and says the practice is also cost ineffective.
Wyoming is one of four U.S. states that still allows for gas chambers for use in shelter euthanasia, with Green River and Evanston being the only cities with gas chambers. Rock Springs operated a gas chamber to euthanize animals at its shelter until action from residents pressed the city abandon the practice in 2020.
The city utilizes a carbon dioxide gas chamber purchased in 1985, according to city records acquired by Anderson. Carbon dioxide is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas Anderson argues does not provide a painless or quick death to euthanized animals. She said some animals get distressed about being placed in the chamber and claw at the walls inside as they’re being gassed. She claims some also go into convulsions and suffer injuries as they die. Due to the age of the chamber utilized by the city, Anderson also said gas chambers that are not properly maintained can have leaks or not deliver the amount of gas needed to quickly kill an animal, causing it to suffer before death.
She said workers and volunteers typically feel stressed when they learn of the gas chamber as they tend to work in animal shelters because they like animals. Anderson claimed those workers suffer from psychological trauma because they don’t want to kill the animals they are euthanizing, often walking out of the room after or during the gas chamber being on to avoid hearing animals scratch at the walls or whine. She said the instructions for the gas chambers require operators to be observing the chambers at all times during use.
For overly fearful or aggressive animals, Anderson said workers are at risk of physical injury because they are tasked with transporting and loading the animals into the chamber, leaving them susceptible to being bitten or clawed. She believes shelter workers can also be subjected to carbon dioxide if the chamber has a leak or when euthanized animals are being unloaded from the chamber.
Anderson said the gas chamber is also not cost effective for the city, saying data she received from Gillette showed use of a gas chamber on a dog cost the city $4.98, compared to $2.29 per animal to euthanize through lethal injection.
Anderson said the more humane option for euthanizing animals is through lethal injection, which is supported by several animal control and shelter organizations. She said euthanasia will still exist until programs such as Trap, Neuter and Release are made mandatory by law.
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