the gassing of shelter dogs and cats in Ohio
I get a lot of email from a lot of sources in my inbox, most of them politically motivated. So sometimes I skim. This one grabbed me right away and stabbed me right in the heart.
Apparently in Medina county - and four other counties - gassing animals en masse is faster than an injection. So they pile 18-20 of them into a metal box - both cats and dogs together - and fill it with carbon monoxide. It takes anywhere from 1/2 hour to 45 minutes for them to die. First their internal organs collapse, and they suffer in agony until they're done. Worse, sometimes they survive it - and are gassed again. And sometimes, if they survive it, they're just thrown into the incinerator alive. Alive. Imagine the panic, imagine... if you can't imagine, the petition I'm about to post has an illustration in case one is needed. There's also a photo of a puppy pawing at the glass, presumably just before somebody flips the switch.
Here's a news story about it, our WKYC channel 3 in Cleveland.
There are still 5 counties in Ohio that do this.
Rep. Jim Moran of VA (D) has proposed banning the method nationwide. It's HR 208, and was proposed in May. 'Course, the House Republicans have been otherwise pre-occupied, denying people healthcare, shutting down the government, fighting every agenda item the President has on his list and such, so this probably won't go anywhere until we get Madame Speaker reinstated. But it's there.
Oh yeah... and one person has died during the process. Unconscionable. Fucking unconscionable.
I love dogs, like cats, can't kill a mouse, I use live traps and transport them to a park. I realize that until people spay and neuter pets they don't intend to breed, or are committed to for life, there's going to be a stray animal population problem. But this is not the way. Surely this is not the way.
Please sign this petition; seventeen other states have made death by gas illegal, maybe an outcry will force these county officials to abandon this barbaric method. Maybe it'll even force the state to ban it entirely. Even if you hate dogs or hate cats - or are indifferent - surely as a civilized people we can't let this go on?
My apologies if I come on a little strong. I look down at my two girls curled up, sleeping peacefully on the couch, secure and safe, without a care in the world, and I wonder what would happen to them if they ever got lost and I couldn't get to them. The thought that THIS could be their fate both enrages me and scares the shit out of me.
The link to the petition (www.change.org).
Thank you.
Apologies again if I missed a similar post along the way.
Will also cross-post in General Discussion.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Shock value for sure, and it is shocking. I can't get rid of them either.
Maybe we shouldn't be able to. 
with enough attention, we can get this done. 
