Recently an animal rights group calling itself CRASH protested that the Garland Animal Shelter uses a CO chamber to euthanize animals. The CO chamber is one of several painless methods recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Unfortunately, Dr. Pippin and his animal rights advocates disregard the AVMA's Guidelines on Euthanasia and insist that lethal injection is the only painless way to put animals to sleep.
Is euthanizing animals the real issue in this protest, or does CRASH have another agenda? One can only wonder why Dr. Pippin refuses to accept the AVMA guidelines, choosing instead to fuel this protest based on emotion and his interpretation of the data. Dr. Pippen also claims there is no veterinary organization that recommends the use of CO gas euthanasia. How can Dr. Pippin make such a statement when the AVMA document says the opposite?
I am of the opinion that as our society becomes more and more secular a very disturbing trend is taking place. Wikipedia, says this: "Animal rights, also referred to as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of humans. Advocates approach the issue from different philosophical positions but agree that animals should be viewed as legal persons and members of the moral community, not property, and that they should not be used as food, clothing, research subjects, or entertainment."
Following are some examples of how animals, even vertebrae, are being elevated to the status of humans.
(1) In Austin, Texas, a downtown billboard screams, "If We Take Her Life, We're The Ones Who Have Strayed. No Kill. Not Now. Not Ever." The billboard features a gigantic photograph of an adult cat. The Austin chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals sponsors that billboard.
(2) In San Francisco, the SPCA has purchased 12 apartments that are air conditioned, have sky lights, soft rugs and tasteful furniture for stray animals. After some debate, the SPCA also decided to allow homeless people to come to stay with the dogs or cats ... because they didn't want the animals to be lonely. However, the humans can't spend the night and can't use the showers.
(3) In Austin a city vehicle sported a bumper sticker reading "Save a Life." The bumper sticker was on the back of an animal control truck. The life the driver wanted to save was the life of a stray animal.
(4) The organization called People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said that civilization would not survive unless Americans stopped catching and eating fish. They stated that since fish had vertebrae and brains, they could feel pain. If they could feel pain, we shouldn't kill them.
(5) Scientists produce vaccines for the flu by using chicken eggs. It takes 3 eggs to make a single dose of flu vaccine. So with over 307 million people in the US, somewhere in the neighborhood of 920 million eggs would be required to make a vaccine for every American man, woman, and child. Why is this important? Because animal rights activists like those who run the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are pushing efforts like across the U.S. (like California’s Proposition 2 last year) that threaten domestic egg production and our ability to respond to vaccine demand:
(6) LOS ANGELES, California -- On Earth Day on Wednesday, Dr. David Jentsch marched at the head of a column of UCLA students and faculty members to the chant of, "Stand up for science!" Across the street a smaller but equally vocal group of animal rights advocates chanted, "U-C-L-A, how many animals have you killed today!" Animal rights activists say large numbers of animals are killed each year during medical trials. Until recently, Jentsch had never dreamed he would lead a political demonstration. But Jentsch's life took a sharp turn last month when his car was firebombed in his driveway. A radical group of animal rights activists claimed responsibility for the act. "This is terror," Jentsch said. "There is no two ways about it. It's extremism. It's an attempt to intimidate." It was the latest in a string of arson attacks against UCLA researchers who use animals in medical research projects. Since 2006, there have been seven attacks aimed at researcher's homes or cars. No arrests have been made in the cases, which are being investigated by an FBI lead task force on terrorism. http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/22/animal.activists.ucla/
(7) Peter Singer, professor at Princeton, and acclaimed academic was appointed by President Clinton to the National Bioethics Advisory Commission. And while Singer explains that a human male who has sex with hens ultimately kills the hen, he wonders if it is any "worse than what egg producers do to their hens all the time."
Peter Singer has a nasty way of pushing everything to the extreme. His arguments on abortion try to induce the reader to believe that unless you think all contraception is immoral, you should support abortion up to the time of birth and then infanticide for 30 days afterwards, just for good measure.
But Princeton's favorite ethicist has gotten tired of defending killing disabled babies and has now started defending something completely different: bestiality. "If you're not willing to disapprove of all non-procreative sex, then you should reconsider the taboo on bestiality. After all, since sex doesn't have to result in babies, and since we all know from reading various Singer texts that we're not so different from animals, it's not an offense to our dignity as human beings to have a little fun with the family pet now and then." http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2001/03/08/2591/
These are only a few examples of humans being reduced to animal status, and animals to human status. This is further demonstrated by the fact that Dr. Pippin and his group totally discount the emotional and mental pain experienced by the euthanasia technicians who have the job of putting the animals to sleep.
The CO methodology used in Garland has 3 advantages (below).
Advantages—(1) Carbon monoxide induces loss of consciousness without pain and with minimal discernible discomfort. (2) Hypoxemia induced by CO is insidious, so that the animal appears to be unaware. (3) Death occurs rapidly if concentrations of 4 to 6% are used.
Despite these advantages Dr. Pippin and his misinformed albeit well-intended, protesters give impassioned pleas at the podium during "open mike" to stop the inhumane, horrific, barbaric, Auschwitz-like euthanasia in Garland. Yet not one of these protestors considers the human factors experienced by employees working in animal shelters.
(1) Euthanizing an animal is a job few people would want. There is a name for this pain humans feel-- it's called “compassion fatigue”—a deep physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion accompanied by acute emotional pain. Euthanizing by injection is especially traumatic to the technician because of the physical contact with the animal during the procedure. (See video below). I urge the Council to consider the mental and emotional health of the animal shelter employees when making a decision on which method to use.
(2) Safety is another consideration. Having to handle an agitated and/or aggressive dog for an injection is obviously a dangerous situation for city workers.
(3) Cost is factor and City staff estimate it is 4 times more efficient to use carbon monoxide than injections.
Whether it's repairing streets, or deciding on how to best run Garland's Animal Shelter, Council cannot and should not make policy based on emotion and pressure from misinformed fringe groups. If Council gives in to Dr. Pippin and his group it will be nothing short of the "blind leading the blind." Our elected officials have a fiduciary responsibility not only to their constituents, but must also consider the safety and emotional well-being of city employees. Policy should never be made on anything other than sound data.
Compassion Fatigue
ANIMAL SERVICES - CITY OF GARLAND
Adoptable Animals
The Animal Shelter always has a variety of animals available for immediate adoption. Unsterilized animals may be adopted for only $80 which includes the first round of vaccinations, and sterilization by the City Veterinarian. Animals that have been previously sterilized can be adopted for only $35. Come by the Garland Animal Shelter and find your new companion today.
The adoptable pets at the City of Garland may be viewed online at:
City of Garland Adoption Fees:
$80 - Dogs, cats, puppies and kittens that have not yet been spayed/neutered.
$35 - Dogs, cats, puppies and kittens that have been previously spayed/neutered.
Abe J. Tuggle Animal Shelter and Adoption Center
600 Tower
Garland, TX 75040
Phone Number 972-205-3570 Press 2
Fax Number 972-205-3433
I arrived at city hall glowing in the fact that my good friend was receiving the first ever Good Neighbor Award from Mayor Jones. My first inkling that something was not right was when I had to drive around the block to get into the parking lot. There was a group of people blocking the entrance to the parking lot at city hall. I drove around the block and entered the parking lot from the back side. So far no problem.
It wasn’t until I had parked, gotten out of my car and started towards the entrance to city hall that I realized who they were. Their signs said things like, “Don’t gas my dogs”. They are protesting Garland’s Animal Control use of gas to euthanize animals, instead of lethal injections. I had heard about their concerns, just did not know they would be there on this particular night. My assignments no longer include events at city hall; however with my good friend receiving an award on this night, this was an exception.
I walked up to the group, extended my hand to the gentleman who was doing most of the talking and said, “My name is Linda Jaresh, with The Garland News.” I then asked if any of the people in the group were from Garland. Three women raised their hands. I asked them if I could talk with them and they said yes; however the man who was obviously in charge of the group told them to not talk to me. He stated that The Garland News was a right wing, liberal, extremist newspaper and if the newspaper really cared about what members of the group had to say they would have reported on it sooner. I told him I would like to talk to the people from Garland because I wanted to write about their concerns. He walked up real close to me and slightly bumped my chest with his chest and told me “No.” He looked at the people and told them he really did not think they should talk to me.
By this time my temper got the best of me and I asked the people again if they would talk to me and that I was really interested in what citizens of Garland had to say about this issue and as far as I was concerned the other people could leave. I also told him that I thought he was meddling in something that was none of his business; however I again said that I thought it would be good for the ones in the group who were residents of Garland to be heard. And I still think they have a right to be heard.
Number one, their signs were disgusting. Number two, he was treating the members of the group like they were his children, not like the adults they were. Number three, he was rude, he bumped me and I only wanted to allow the residents of Garland to have their voices heard. I am all about listening to every side of an issue, and I am certainly about writing about every side of an issue.
I was under the impression that protestors are not allowed to stand on city property and here they were in the parking lot, actually blocking the entrance to the parking lot. And there was an on duty Garland Police Officer standing on the steps to city hall. I later learned he walked outside to make sure I made it inside city hall safely. (Thanks guys)
As I walked away from the group, to go inside city hall, the three people who had raised their hands indicating they were residents of Garland were shaking their heads and had lowered their protest signs.
I’m all for free speech. I am all for listening to every side of an issue before forming an opinion. I am even more for free press. It was my experience that this group was very rude, very uninformed, and were there only to further their own agenda, not that of the animals in question.
I strongly apologize to all of my friends who were on the receiving end of hearing my words of disgust after I entered city hall. The general public did not hear what I had to say, only city staff, friends and well I guess that would be just about every one after all.
The protestors were still in the parking lot after the meeting, only this time they did leave a path through which the cars could pass. And yes, I am still in favor of free speech; however, having to bring in people from other cities to increase the numbers of protestors is suspect at best.
To the protestors I would say you do have a right to voice your opinion; however the rights of the people from out of town just do not compare to the rights of the residents of Garland, your presence only adds to the delay with which this issue will be resolved.
One last thing to the protestors, find a new spokesperson, one who doesn’t bump a conservative newspaper reporter, who also happens to be a grandmother.
