Alert 1/17/08 Gas Chamber Bill (HB40) on 1/22/08!
Del. Jim Scott's gas bill (HB40) will be heard on Tuesday, 1/22.
This is the fourth time Del. Scott has gone to bat on this.
The meeting will be at - gulp - 7:30 am.
Please try to come. This is the year it will happen!
Time/Place: 7:30 a.m.
Tuesday, 1/22/08
4 th Floor West Conference Room, General Assembly Bldg.
This is the bill to outlaw gas chambers forever in Virginia.
The link to the bill:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=081&typ=bil&val=hb40
Please be there as this bill is very important. Come celebrate for Virginia’s animals!
Please let us know if you come and are willing to say a few words (less than a minute) in support of the bill.
This bill will be heard by the House Ag Subcommittee chaired by Del. Bobby Orrock who also has a gas chamber elimination bill.
Please do this:
1. First, thank Del. Scott for being the patron for this important piece of legislation for the fourth time.
His full name is Del. James M. Scott. His email: DelJScott@house.state.va.us
2. Contact all the members of the House Ag Subcommittee and ask each to support the bill. The list of committee members is at the end of this alert.
The subject line should be: please vote in favor of HB 40
The message should ask them to pass HB 40. See the talking points below for ideas.
3. Next, send a quick note or make a quick phone call to your own delegate, and let them know you want this bill passed, and so you ask their support. This is particularly important to do if your delegate also happens to be a member of the House Ag Subcommittee.
background :
gas chambers are still legal for euthanizing animals in VA; VVMA (Virginia Veterinary Medical Association) policy is that EBI is preferred, but they haven’t the backbone to say gas is wrong; Virginia State Vet has protocol for using gas which includes certifying that the chamber meets specific conditions for use
talking points:
a. dangerous to the operator
(1) carbon monoxide is cumulative
(2) has been at least one death of chamber operator (in Tennessee which then outlawed
gas)
(3) operators often have been given insufficient training in using gas, particularly when
using it in a closed room, or when opening the chamber after use
(4) because “certification” of the gas chamber done by a mish-mash of “experts”, little
reason to be certain chamber isn’t leaking
b. inhumane to the animal
(1) frequently dragged into the box and forcibly stuffed in
(2) when done illegally (i.e., when animals put in together with no separation), animals
struggle to get free and attack each other; this has happened in Virginia even in 2007
(3) though chamber to be manufactured and capable of being cleaned between uses, fre-
quently made by hand of cinderblock or wood which defies being suitably and com-
pliantly cleaned; next animal dies in box with urine and feces from previous animal
c. EBI (euthanasia by injection), when done in accordance with Virginia law, is less expensive
than using gas
(1) following the steps required by the state, each gassing cycle requires about 45 min-
utes, and is one dog (possibly two cats) per cycle; EBI, even with a sedative fol-
lowed by the lethal injection, takes far less time
(2) calculations of the cost based on much shorter time for EBI and approximate pay of
animal control officer doing either gassing or EBI confirm; some places contract for
EBI at approximately $7.00 per animal
(3) using animal records information from the State Vet, it can be shown that, in some
jurisdictions, about 50% of an animal control officer’s time – HALF the working
time – is spent gassing animals – if Virginia law is being followed
Hope to see you there! All our bills are special, but this is beyond special. So many have worked on this.
Lillian Clancy and Don Marro
___________________
House Ag Subcommittee
Orrock, Robert D., Chairman
Lewis, Lynwood W.
Lohr, Matthew J.
Marshall, Daniel W.
DelDMarshall@house.state.va.us
Mathieson, Robert W.
DelBMathieson@house.state.va.us
Poindexter, Charles D.
DelCPoindexter@house.state.va.us
Scott, Edward T.
Shuler, James M.