Mass Grave For Dogs Found At Shelter-euthanizing dogs by shooting instead of using lethal injection

[The Straight Story]

Mass Grave For Dogs Found At Shelter

MALTA, Ohio — The Morgan County dog warden was placed on unpaid administrative leave on Monday as county commissioners investigated the deaths of more than 100 dogs.

Officials of the Ohio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals excavated what they called a mass grave filled with dogs at an animal shelter run by the dog warden, 10TV's Tanisha Mallett reported.

The SPCA came to the shelter on Saturday after receiving a tip that the dog warden was euthanizing dogs by shooting them instead of using lethal injection, Mallett reported.

The dog warden had agreed to use lethal injection after complaints six years ago that he had been shooting unclaimed dogs at the shelter.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2008/03/31/dogs.html?sid=102

[Ellen Forradalom]

1. poor dogs

:cry:

[Scout]

2. take him out and shoot HIM the dirty fucking bastard n/t

[emilyg]

22. Yes. Let me at him.

[Caoimhe]

3. How sad

meanwhile, selfish idiots spending $500-$1000 for "purebred" dogs from puppy mills could care less.

[MercutioATC]

4. Actually, shooting was probably just as humane.

..assuming the dogs were shot in the head.

[Mojorabbit]

5. That was my thought too. n/t

[NJSecularist]

7. Agreed.

I'm a dog lover, but let's hope that most of these dogs that were shot were shot in the head and died instantly so they didn't have to suffer.

[spanone]

15. they make these rules so we don't have to 'hope' they didn't suffer.

[atreides1]

8. Not to mention cheaper

After all a bullet doesn't cost as much as the drugs used to euthanize the animals!!!

Do you really believe this was bieng done for humane reasons?

[MercutioATC]

12. I never claimed it was done for humane reasons.

I stated that it was no less humane than injecting the animals.

You brought the economics into the discussion...and you're right. Cost and/or effort probably figured into the decision.

That doesn't change the fact that a shot to the head is no less humane than an injection.

[ThomWV]

13. That was my thought exactly

[flvegan]

6. Jeff Driggs still running that shithole? Still use a drop box?

If it is the same guy, that's gotta put him over 1,000 dogs he's killed in this manner. He's been at it a while.

[selador]

9. i realize this is primarily an administrative matter

iow, he AGREED to use lethal injcetion vs. shooting

there is nothing inherently inhumane about shooting vs. lethal injection for animal euthanization

the law in my state explicitly allows (for example) pet owners to use firearms to euthanize an animal.

not saying it's a "happy thing", but a shot to the head does the trick with little to no suffering.

[Lasher]

14. Actually shooting can be more humane than an injection

If properly dispatched with a gun, a suffering animal will never hear the shot. And it can often be done right at the home of the people it loves, avoiding a traumatic trip to the vet. And with an injection it will at least feel the shot.

But the point is sort of academic, as you point out, because he agreed to use lethal injection.

[spanone]

16. how do you know 'they will never hear the shot'? you been shot in the head?

you don't think shooting a dog in the head would be traumatic IN FRONT OF THEIR LOVED ONES???

great googly moogly

[The Straight Story]

17. great googly moogly

Do you listen to Ralph Bailey at knzr :)

[selador]

18. how do you know

i personally have been in shootouts fwiw. and i have more than a few friends who have been shot

as for reaction time - bullets travel faster than sound

and once sound reaches the eardrums, it takes fractions of a second for a brain (dog or human) to process.

so, assuming the shot is a quick kill, the animal WON'T hear the shot.

[Lasher]

20. What a silly argument.

No, I have never been shot in the head. And I haven't been devoured by a school of piranhas either but I'm pretty sure it hurts.

Dispatching a suffering animal by any means is not something I would want anyone to watch. You're thinking of how this would make you feel. I'm thinking of limiting the animal's suffering as much as possible, which I see as the primary objective.

[elocs]

19. I had a dog and cat put down by lethal injection and I don't know how humane it was.

I was with both of them when it was done at my vet clinic. The cat was nearly 20 years old and I had found her by the side of the road when she was 3 days old. She was emaciated and her time had come. Unfortunately, it took them 3 times to find a vein that did not collapse. It certainly was not humane for me because I was ready for 1 time, but by the third time I was in tears. I don't know how it was for the cat, but shot to the head certainly would have been quicker. My experience with my dog was not much better.

[Lasher]

21. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

But good on you for being with them when they died. Lesser people would have just let the vet take care of it.

[susankh4]

10. This kinda thing just makes me so sad.

And angry, too.

I rescue from many OH/IN/KY shelters. Never heard of this one... will see what I can find out.

[bluestateguy]

11. Despicable

Having said that, there are far worse acts of animal cruelty perpetrated every day.

[Hippo_Tron]

23. I'd rather a bullet to the head than take the stuff they use in lethal injections for humans

I've heard what they use on dogs is painless, though.

[EnviroBat]

24. I used to have to euthanize animals when I was a vet student.

It was a terrible experience, especially when the first euthanasia I was to "perform" was a perfectly healthy, young cat. He fought for his life. We had to zip him up in a canvas bag with holes for the limbs. He knew exactly why I had come to his cage that day, and he tried desperately to show me what a good cat he was by using the little litterbox we had provided for him. The owners had wanted him destroyed for peeing in their house... After a few more of these, I dropped out of vet school. The two doctors I was working for were upset by my decision as they had written my letter of recommendation, but they both understood this was wrecking me. They went on to explain that as a veterinarian, this aspect of the job never gets easy.

The shooting thing, while effective, is pretty violent never-the-less. This brings up bad memories for me, so it's hard to have a dog in this race...