Iredell County, NC, gas chamber. Photo by Flickr member NCCHE.
A “relatively painless” death can only occur in an environment where sensitivity, compassion and skill combine with efforts to minimize distress and anxiety. By contrast, gas systems take time to kill— during which animals experience distress and anxiety, and can struggle to survive. They can result in animals surviving the gassing, only to suffer even more. And they take longer to kill if animals are young, old, or have respiratory infections, which is common in some shelters. They are designed for the ease of shelter workers, not care and compassion for the animals.–A Call To Ban The Gas Chamber
The good news: Several NC counties, including Person, Johnston and Sampson, have recently announced plans to discontinue or restrict the use of gas chambers and/or remove them completely. Other NC counties that recently joined the march toward civilized treatment of shelter pets include Brunswick County, where the CO chamber was last used in November 2011, according to inspection reports, and Craven-Pamlico, which ended the use of its chamber on Feb.1, 2012.
But bad news remains: There are still far too many North Carolina counties killing shelter pets in the barbaric contraptions. Fourteen counties still use gas chambers as their primary means of killing shelter pets. Several others have switched primarily to lethal injection but retain the CO chambers for use with wildlife and “dangerous” animals. (Often, feral cats are considered to be in the “dangerous” category, which means the gas chamber still gets used quite a lot in those places.)
The gas chamber has been banned in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
As long as the inhumane contraptions, throwbacks to our less-civilized past, remain in use in North Carolina, we will never be able to move forward to a humane future in which shelters will be places where animals’ lives are protected. The gas chambers in NC must be demolished. Even in counties where gas chamber use has ended, having a working chamber onsite means that it can be put back into full-time use again at any time, as it was in Sampson County.
Below is a county-by-county listing of the the places that still use gas chambers and links to contact information for county officials who can change that. I have written a sample letter that can be used as a template for your own letters to these officials. More points to use in a letter can be found in the American Humane Association gas chamber fact sheet.
Ashe County: If there were a “Worst Place in NC for Animals” award, Ashe County would be a nominee. Not only does their pound gas an incredibly high number of animals each year, but their pound director doesn’t care for adoptions, shooting is a standard animal control technique and animal cruelty is considered just one of those things. Ask Ashe County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county! Contact information for Ashe County Officials is here. The Ashe County CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in May 2012.
Alamance County/City of Burlington: Lethal injection is the primary means of killing pets at Burlington Animal Services, but the gas chamber is still used for wildlife and “dangerous” animals. Ask Alamance County/City of Burlington officials to completely end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber! Find contact information here. It appears that the BAS gas chamber has not been inspected by the NCDA&CS Animal Welfare Service since 2009.
Beaufort County: The gas chamber is the primary means of killing animals in Beaufort County. Ask Beaufort County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber. Find contact information here. The Beaufort County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in March 2012.
Cabarrus County: The gas chamber is the primary means of killing animals in Cabarrus County. Ask Cabarrus County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The CO chamber in Cabarrus County does not appear to have been inspected by NCDA&CS AWS since 2009.
Cleveland County: The gas chamber is the primary means of killing animals in Cleveland County. Ask Cleveland County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The Cleveland County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in January 2012.
Davidson County: Davidson County’s gas chamber is one of the most infamous in North Carolina. In 2011, a shelter volunteer told the Davidson County commissioners that he saw “Davidson County Animal Shelter employees laugh as they put a mother cat, her kitten and a raccoon into the same compartment of the shelter’s gas chamber in 2009 and let them fight before they were euthanized.” Then over Thanksgiving weekend in 2011, two Thomasville police officers who were not trained or certified took a dog they had shot and wounded to the closed Davidson pound and killed it in the gas chamber. Despite massive opposition to the gas chamber by Davidson County residents, most county commissioners voted to continue using the barbaric contraption in August 2011. Ask Davidson County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The Davidson County pound CO chamber does not appear to have been inspected by NCDA&CS AWS since 2009.
Gaston County: According to a June 2012 AWS inspection report, the gas chamber is only used for about 1 percent of the animals killed in the Gaston County pound. Nonetheless, as long as the chamber remains operable and in the facility, it can be put into more frequent use at any time. Ask Gaston County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The Gaston County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS since in June 2012.
Granville County: The gas chamber is the primary means of killing pets in the Granville County pound. Ask Granville County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The Granville County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in 2011.
Iredell County: Iredell County is famous for being the site of one of several gas chamber explosions in North Carolina. In 2008, Iredell’s almost-brand-new gas chamber exploded with 10 dogs inside as a result of an electrical malfunction. Nonetheless, the county repaired the unit and had it back in service a year later. Ask Iredell County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The Iredell County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in May 2012.
Johnston County: UPDATE: Reportedly, the Johnston gas chamber is now NOT in use, all gas canisters have been disposed of and the chamber is to be dismantled and removed in the near future. In response to years of pressure by animal advocates, Johnston County pound manager Ed Wilkinson announced in December 2012 that he planned to decrease the use of the gas chamber to only “vicious” animals. Wilkinson gave no definition of what constitutes a “vicious” animal, so it’s possible that category could include feral cats, which are killed by the tens of thousands every year in NC pounds. Gas chamber use needs to end completely in Johnston County. As long as the chamber remains operable and in the facility, it can be put into more frequent use at any time. Please tell Johnston County officials and pound director Ernie Wilkinson that ending the use of the gas chamber represents progress, and ask them to begin implementing the programs proven to end the killing of healthy and treatable pets in their facility. Find contact information here. The Johnston County pound CO chamber does not appear to have been inspected by NCDA&CS AWS since 2009.
Martin County: The gas chamber is currently the primary means of killing pets in Martin County. Ask Martin County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The Martin County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in 2011.
Nash County: The gas chamber is the primary means of killing animals in Nash County. Ask Nash County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The CO chamber in Nash County does not appear to have been inspected by NCDA&CS AWS since 2009.
Randolph County: The gas chamber is the primary means of killing animals in Randolph County. Ask Randolph County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The CO chamber in Randolph County does not appear to have ever been inspected by NCDA&CS AWS.
Rowan County: The gas chamber is currently the primary means of killing pets in Rowan County. Ask Rowan County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The Rowan County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in January 2012.
Union County: The gas chamber is currently the primary means of killing pets in Union County. Ask Union County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The Union County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in September 2012.
Vance County: Vance County is reportedly eliminating or reducing use of its gas chamber. According to a Facebook post by the Vance County SPCA, the county has already ended the gas chamber use. But as long as the chamber remains operable and in the facility, it can be put back into frequent use at any time. Ask Vance County officials to demolish the gas chamber and remove it completely. Find contact information here. The Vance County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in July 2011.
Wilkes County: The gas chamber is currently the primary means of killing pets in Wilkes County. Ask Wilkes County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The Wilkes County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in May 2012.
Wilson County: The gas chamber is currently the primary means of killing pets in Wilson County. Ask Wilson County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county. Find contact information here. The Wilson County pound CO chamber was last inspected by NCDA&CS AWS in 2011.
Thanks for this infromation. I have wanting to know which Counties are still gassing.
I live in Rowan County and am sick that my tax dollars pay for this barbaric gas chamber and the salaries of the shelter staff who defend and/or provide excuses for it. A picture is worth a thousand words and this is objective fact shown here. Iredell County is adjacent to Rowan County. To our County Commissioners, of which Mr. Sides is one, take heed:
“A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.”
Proverbs 12:10
Until this community demands major changes from the current “kill” to a “no-kill” philosophy, some of us continue to try to save as many as we can but it will never be enough.
Patty, please encourage everyone you know to write the commissioners. Also, letters to the editor of the local paper can help. Most county commissions have time before every meeting where citizens can speak on whatever they want. Does Rowan County have Animal Control Advisory Board?
barbaruc. end it now
I live in a county that doesn’t use the gas chamber. Can I still send a letter to those other counties or does my opinion not count there since I am not a resident?
You can still write a letter, and I hope people will! If you are not in their county, you could make the point that their use of the gas chamber makes their county look regressive and backward to the rest of the world. Just a suggestion–please say what you want in the letter. If your letter is polite and respectful it will get more notice. I write to officials in other counties and occasionally I receive a polite reply. Usually I get no reply, but that doesn’t mean they did not read my letter.
You can always write a letter, send an e-mail, attend a meeting, etc. anywhere you want. You could even say you are canvassing cities to move to and are in the process of obtaining local regulations and laws. Does your opinion count? That is subjective. I didn’t vote for Obama yet he won, but to me my vote/opinion counted. I would especially encourage those not living in Rowan County, NC to speak up for those with no voices. We must all advocate for the unwanted, neglected, abused and abandoned animals. Evil thrives in the dark; the more light that is shed on this barbaric high-kill gassing/heartstick shelter, the better the chance of them abolishing it. Hopefully wishing but with great reservations…this is NC.
You MUST provide a template for people to be able to send the letters by email directly from your site. This is a daunting number of letters and counties for anyone to consider sending. There are ways to send directly and that would be easier and more people would participate. If you could fix this I am sure you would have many many more people sending letters. Thank you for your information.
Are you offering to donate the webhosting and the web development for such a tool? Or, can you provide a link to a service that would provide such a tool for free? This is not my paying job, I make no money off of this site, and I am not a web developer so I do not have the knowledge or skills to invent such a tool.
Besides, personalized letters are far more effective than some form letter sent en masse.
Perhaps you could just pick a a county or two and send letters to those officials? Is not getting rid of the gas chambers in NC is worth the time it would take to send 10 or so emails?
Lisa B, there is no Animal Control Advisory Board (http://www.rowancountync.gov/GOVERNMENT/AdvisoryBoards/BoardListing.aspx). The closest would be the Board of Public Health who are, of course, all appointed by the County Commissioners. The Animal Shelter is low on their totem pole. If everyone around the country (push my luck? WORLD) would send a letter or e-mail to the Board of Commissioners, maybe they’d entertain addressing the issue of their Gas Chamber. Rowan County is now just a few left in NC who use it as the primary means of killing animals.
Thanks for the info, Patty. Is it true that the pound director in Rowan county recently turned down an $8,000 grant offer from HSUS to get rid of the gas chamber there?
Yes Lisa that is true.
Please go to http://www.change.org. Search “gas chamber”. There are a number of prior examples if you need to have some ideas of what to send in an e-mail or letter, and some specifically for NC and for Rowan County!
Lisa B: Shocking news to me!! But I will find out tomorrow and let you know.
Is it true that the pound director in Rowan county recently turned down an $8,000 grant offer from HSUS to get rid of the gas chamber there?
Someone passed that info to me, indicating that it’s possible the county manager does not even know the grant was offered and turned down.
All I get is lies anyway. Is there someone to contact at the HSUS end to verify?
I guess the best person to ask would be Kim Alboum: kalboum@humanesociety.org. She is the one making the grant offers. I heard that the Rowan one was rejected from someone else, however, so I could be wrong.
The gas chamber is currently the primary means of killing pets in Rowan County. Ask Rowan County officials to end the use of and demolish the barbaric gas chamber in their county.
Rowan County
County Manager: Gary Page, Gary.Page@rowancountync.gov
Commissioners:
•Jim Sides, Jim.Sides@rowancountync.gov
•Craig Pierce, Craig.Pierce@rowancountync.gov
•Chad Mitchell, Chad.Mitchell@rowancountync.gov
•Jon Barber, Jon.Barber@rowancountync.gov
•Mike Caskey, Mike.Caskey@rowancountync.gov
All commissioners can be mailed at 130 W. Innes Street, Salisbury, NC 28144
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Just wanted to let you know that I e-mailed all the county managers and council members of the counties that use gas chambers. I got a response from Chief Taylor with Beaufort County Animal Control informing me that they are in the process of getting their state & Federal DEA licenses so that they can use EBI rather than gas. I also heard from Wayne Outlaw, a county commissioner for NAsh County who says they now use EBI. Thought you’d like to know.
Thanks for sharing that info, and thank you for taking the time to write to the officials! I had heard that both of those counties were considering the change, but I wasn’t certain where exactly they were in the process.
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Gas a few puppy mill owners….then maybe there wont be such a population problem!!!
Ha! But there isn’t actually a population problem. There is an animal shelter problem.
http://fixnc.wordpress.com/pet-overpopulation-debunked/
Wouldn’t need shelters if there wasn’t an over population problem??
Please read this:
The Lie at the Heart of the Killing: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation