Michigan House Bills 6042 and 6043 would ensure that when any of the state's cats and dogs are to be euthanized, euthanasia by injection will be used and not the gas chamber.
The American Humane Association considers euthanasia by injection to be the only acceptable and humane means of euthanasia for animals in animal shelters.
Since remaining session voting days are limited, the bills need to receive a passing vote in the full House of Representatives and the Senate very soon. Even though a majority of the shelters in the state use euthanasia by injection, 11 still use gas chambers. Shelter workers overwhelmingly wish to hold and comfort a frightened animal in its final moments of life. That act may be the only kindness the animal has ever known. Euthanizing any animal by means of a gas chamber is severely inhumane, and devastates animal shelters.
Please sign today to support these bills so that Michigan can take a huge step forward toward becoming a humane state for cats and dogs.
Michigan House Bills 6042 and 6043 would ensure that when any of the state's cats and dogs are to be euthanized, euthanasia by injection will be used and not the gas chamber. HB 6042, sponsored by Rep. Rick Jones, was originally drafted by American Humane and the State Bar of Michigan Animal Law Section, and 6043, sponsored by Rep. Fred Miller, was introduced shortly thereafter. Both bills recently passed the Michigan House Agriculture Committee.
In order to save the bills from failing, the committee had to change the bills so that they do not apply to farm animals and also had to push back the effective date to January 1, 2012. Since remaining session voting days are limited, the bills need to receive a passing vote in the full House of Representatives and the Senate very soon.
The American Humane Association considers euthanasia by injection to be the only acceptable and humane means of euthanasia for animals in animal shelters.
Even though a majority of the shelters in the state use euthanasia by injection, 11 still use gas chambers. Shelter workers overwhelmingly wish to hold and comfort a frightened animal in its final moments of life. That act may be the only kindness the animal has ever known. Euthanizing any animal by means of a gas chamber is severely inhumane, and devastates animal shelters.
Support these bills so that Michigan can take a huge step forward toward becoming a humane state for cats and dogs.
