City pursues eliminating gas chamber

The city plans to eliminate use of the gas chamber in the Green River Animal Control Shelter, but is still working out details in order to make the transition complete.

The option of eliminating the gas chamber has been discussed among the city council in the past, but no specific action had been taken. A group of protestors stood outside City Hall Jan. 4 to urge the council members to take the gas chamber out of animal control. Addressing this topic was not on the agenda, but at the end of the meeting Mayor Pete Rust said he would like to mention "the gas chamber issue" and said he believed there was general consensus among the council members.

"We would like to direct the staff to move forward on this issue with the primary focus being, as it has been for us in terms of our concern all along, and that is our employee's safety," Rust said.

Police Chief Tom Jarvie asked the council for a raise of hands so he could see the consensus of the members and let his staff know what direction they were being asked to move in.

Five council members raised their hands in support. George Jost and Robert Berg did not raise their hands, and Jost said he wasn't sure after recently talking to animal control officers and wanted to wait before saying yes or no.

"We're simply going to suggest that that needs to happen," Rust said during the meeting. "And then it'll be a two-way discussion in developing it as they go."

Since the informal vote, those most heavily involved in implementing the decision to remove the gas chamber have begun doing research into what changes that decision will require, from talking to local vets about their ability to help with euthanasia to looking into what equipment and training animal control will require.

"We will implementing [sic] an immediate stop to all gas chamber euthanasia," City Administrator Reed Clevenger originally told the Rocket-Miner newspaper. Clevenger also stated not using the gas chamber at this time could mean sending animals elsewhere "if the equipment we have, or the veterinarian partnerships we have cannot accommodate our needs."

Other city officials have since expressed uncertainty regarding whether immediately stopping use of the gas chamber is possible before other options and methods are more established, but council members and city employees interviewed by the Star agree ending use of the chamber is the direction the city is headed, and other options will be used as much as they can be while the transition is implemented.

"What we really meant was effective immediately that we're going to try to move away from it as fast as we possibly can, but to do that we've got to put some other things in place," Chris Meats, the city's financial director, said. "They're trying to use it as little as possible, especially when other methods are there. Of course, they've always done that."

Knowing Green River is one of only two cities in Wyoming still using a gas chamber was one of the main factors leading to the council's decision, according to the mayor.

"We understand that lots of people are changing," Rust said. "Our thought is there must be a reason so maybe we should be changing too."

Councilman Jim Zimmerman also expressed his belief the gas chamber is an outdated method and moving away from it is a natural progression.

"I just think it was obvious times are changing," Zimmerman said. "To me it was a no-brainer."

Rust also noted the position of the American Veterinary Medical Association is gas chambers are a legitimate method for animal euthanasia, but not the preferred method.

However, Animal Control Officer Tracy Wyant believes the gas chamber is a humane way of euthanizing animals and disputes allegations about the state of the gas chamber and how it is used.

"We do everything right," Wyant said.

The gas chamber is located in a large, well-ventilated room at the Green River Animal Shelter. The machine, which features windows into the chamber, is flanked by carbon monoxide detectors and near a vent that brings air into the room from outside the building. The chamber operates by bringing a burst of carbon monoxide into the chamber from a gas cylinder located outside the building.

Wyant said animals euthanized in the chamber are sedated before they're placed inside and disputes claims about several animals being loaded into the chamber at one time. She said after about two minutes inside the chamber, the animal dies.

"It's very quick," she said. "I don't feel it's inhumane or unethical."

She said she has had the opportunity to correct a number of people about the shelter's euthanasia procedures who had read what she described as horror stories from the internet. Wyant admits incidents people have read about may be taking place at facilities in other places, but asserts the animal control in Green River follows the rules and guidelines associated with using the gas chamber. Wyant also said the chamber isn't the sole means of euthanasia at the facility, with officers being trained in utilizing lethal injections to animals.

Wyant said while an animal control facility may get a bad reputation for euthanizing animals, much of the blame should be placed on irresponsible pet owners who let their pets' health decline or don't correct aggressive behaviors until someone is injured by the pet. Wyant said she was been bitten on the face by a dog which required several stitches, and other animal control officers have been attacked or injured during calls as well.

"There's been a lot of emotions here, but it comes down to irresponsible pet owners," she said.

Wyant also said the use of euthanasia is the last resort and reserved for situations where the animal is ill with a terminal disease or is a documented threat to people. Wyant said all of the animal control employees are compassionate, but have an obligation to keep Green River's residents safe.

"We've all shed tears over these situations," she said.

Wyant said the shelter accepts dogs and cats from other shelters, often saving them from euthanasia at those facilities. Animals that have a hard time being adopted in Green River are sent to other facilities as well as some dog breeds which are more quickly adopted out in other locations.

Part of the decision to remove the gas chamber is also a continued effort to explore other options which can save animals, according to the mayor. He expressed his desire for the city to be even more involved with animal transports or programs such as one he heard about from Wyant where animals needing training are paired with penitentiary inmates. Being able to give animals more chances in other places could cut down on the need to euthanize in general.

"I think it might behoove the people that are the strongest proponents of eliminating the gas chamber to maybe get involved in the discussion in terms of what can be done to eliminate animals completely from this happening," Rust said.

Among the proponents of eliminating the gas chamber in Green River, and stopping animal euthanasia in general, is Madhu Anderson, who led the protest at City Hall the night the council decided to proceed with eliminating the gas chamber. Anderson expressed her excitement over the decision to eliminate the gas chamber, but said she's waiting for the day when she can see the gas chamber machinery being removed from the shelter.