I’m sorry you are offended by the original author calling the kettle black. It is the truth.
A butcher in a slaughterhouse makes a conscious decision to murder animals for living.
A EUTHANASIA tech makes that same choice. Why? Either because the power of taking a beings life or it’s because it pays the bills.
It’s either one or both. Otherwise you can’t do this job EVERY DAY!
So, don’t be offended – realize what you did for living was not the right thing to do and move on to better things. It sounds like you have. So kudos to you after all.
Misha

The first point I want to make to you is that a “heart stick” injection is not what any shelter would use as a primary method of euthanasia by injection, as intravenous would always be first, except in the case of cats, in which an intra peritoneal injection is commonly used. So there is no sense in going on some big campaign to stop heart stick injections.. the only time anyone should be using that method is on a completely unconscious animal.
I had excellent training at the Denver Dumb Friends League in Colorado and I know how to perform a heart-stick, but I myself have only used it on animals who were far beyond feeling it. (if you want details, just ask).

To shed light on the subject, at one time a heart stick injection appeared to be humane, as it caused an instant death. After it was discovered to be very painful, (it works like a heart attack), it was discontinued as a primary method of lethal injection.

Gas Chambers are archaic and should be banned. I have only witnessed one in use on one occasion in my life, in New Bern, NC, during my re-certification training by none other than Dr. Ralph Houser, who, as previously stated in this post, makes and sells gas chambers and so has a vested interest in them remaining in use.. Dr. Houser assured us that the howls we were hearing were only “air decompressing from the animals’ lungs”, but my co-workers and I never bought his story.
The sound of the dogs howling in the gas chamber will haunt me for the rest of my life.

My thought is that not only do we need more strict spay/neuter laws to bring down the numbers of animals killed in our nation’s shelters, but we need to make it socially unacceptable to breed dogs and cats or to buy purebred animals. Until people can make the connection between the breeding of dogs and cats to the killing of animals in our shelters, this is never going to stop. Silence equals complicity, and if your friend is showing you their brand-new purebred puppy, or worse, a “designer crossbreed” , your reaction needs to be of disapproval. Speak up!
Likewise to your neighbor with that cat always having kittens.

The last thing I would like to say is that I personally quit eating animals in 1986.
Fur and leather quickly left my closet soon after. I went to work in an animal shelter because I cared about animals and wanted to help, and unless you have walked a mile in my shoes you have no right to judge. Your statement that shelter workers are …” made to carry out such acts just to receive a paycheck and health insurance”. is really rude and offensive to me.

http://www.americanhumane.org/advocacy/stop-gassing.html

North Carolina Voters for Animal Welfare

We are a statewide organization dedicated to the protection of animals through legislation and public policy.

http://www.ncvaw.org/

I think many folks in North Carolina – and definitely folks outside North Carolina – aren’t even aware of the horrors occurring in the state’s rural shelters. It’s heartbreaking, and the best we can try to do with this blog is raise awareness and provide a platform for getting the message out.

Thanks again for taking the time to follow our blog. Hope your daughter in Charlottesville also knows about us!