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Meeting with Virginia's Agriculture Secretary, Robert Bloxom
The meeting on 5/16/05 with Secretary Robert Bloxom was productive, in good measure due to the interest and presence of Bill Murray, Deputy Director for Policy for Governor Warner. In addition to Dr. Murray, Susan Patton who heads the gas chamber elimination initiative for VVAW, Lillian Clancy, and Don Marro attended.
We sent the following letter to Secretary Bloxom on Wednesday, 5/18/05:
Dear Secretary Bloxom:
Thank you very much indeed.
Here is our view/timeline for steps necessary to get things moving:
1. review the latest inspection reports of all those shelters reportedly using gas by 5/31/05; provide a copy of those reports to VVAW
- must be recent (2005 vintage) report
- must assess compliance with new regs of 11/04
2. confer by 6/7/05 with colleagues at the State Vet’s office regarding
- substantive issues barring transition to euthanasia by injection
- costs/timetable for bringing noncompliant gas chambers into compliance
3. convene planning meeting during week of 6/4/05 with VVAW and your colleagues at the State Vet’s office to review
- VVAW terms sheet
- rank ordering (if any) of transition targets and criteria therefore
- transition assistance elements and transition team make-up
- transition timetable
4. Attached is our terms sheet and the FOIA request we spoke about which has not been complied with as of 5/18/05.
We look forward to a cordial and effective collaboration, and an end to using gas to kill Virginia’s “excess” animals.
Lillian Clancy and Donald Marro
_______________
ACTION NEEDED:
Let Secretary Bloxom and Governor Warner know you oppose the continued use of gas to kill Virginia’s “excess” companion animal population.
Talking points:
- death by gas is horrible and should have no place in the United States
- records of inspection by the State Vet of facilities using gas are not forthcoming and should be
- facilities not in compliance should have civil fines of $1000/day per infraction levied immediately
- gas chambers are nearly all home made, are not in compliance to the detriment of the animals inside and the operators of the chambers
- it is more expensive to bring gas chambers into compliance than to transition to intravenous euthanasia
- it is less expensive to do intravenous euthanasia than to use CO gas
Robert S. Bloxom
Office of the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry
1111 East Broad Street
4th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
PHONE: 804-692-2511
FAX: 804-692-2466
Email: Robert.Bloxom@governor.virginia.gov