stopgassingtexaspets

From: Hector Chavez [mailto:hchavez@eaglepasstx.us]

Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2012 11:13 AM

To: 'Audrey S. Moses'

Subject: RE: Animal Shelter

I do not have the amounts needed yet. As soon as I do, I will provide them to you. I sent the Chairman of Project Companion your info so that they could contact you. We do need to change the hours. We have added a kennel attendant who is on duty from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and we will make the change. Adoptions are not made on week ends, because at the present time we do not have a system in place to receive money on week ends, plus the fact that we cannot pay over time at the present. We will work on a procedure but at the present time, no adoptions on week ends.

I AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK ON WHAT $AMOUNT$ IS NEEDED TO MOVE THE SHELTER FROM GASSING TO NON-GASSING/ INJECTION ONLY!

CITY OF SEMINOLE

From: Tommy Phillips Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2011 10:48 AM

Subject: RE: Shelter Euthanasia

"There has been no change in the euthanasia policy at our shelter."

Tommy Phillips tpillips@mywdo.com  

From: Rene Marshall

Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 8:38 AM

The Alice Police Department has advised as follows: We are currently using lethal injection for all euthanasia. Gas is still available and is still recognized by the state.

Rene S. Marshall, City Clerk

CityClerk@CityofAlice.org

500 East Main Street Post Office Box 3229 Alice, Texas 78333

Tel: 361.668.7210 Fax: 361.668.4353

Hector:

I wanted to follow-up with you on the email below dated 1/25/12. Can you give me the amount your shelter needs to go from gassing to injection only?  I have not heard from the organization you mentioned, Project Companion. Can you give me their contact information?

Also, below is the information I found on your website about the shelter. Is there any consideration to changing the shelter hours?

Two hours a day five days a week is in the right direction, but I have found that most shelters are open at least some hours on the weekend.  Since a lot of people work when the shelter is currently open, animals don’t have a great shot at being seen and adopted.

Thank you for your time.

Audrey

SHELTER WEBSITE

· The division averages the pickup of 150 to 175 live as well as dead animals during a month.

Adopt A Pet Program

The department has implemented a year round “Adopt a Pet” program by utilizing our public channel to make pets available to our community. Adoption is the best way to get a pet to add to your family. Come and adopt a furry friend today! Thank you in advance for giving these loving animals another chance for a good life.

*Effective immediately the City of Eagle Pass Animal Shelter located at 1100 Eidson Rd. (the City Yard) will be limiting viewing hours for adoptions, canine pickups and surrenders to Monday thru Friday 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

http://www.eaglepasstx.us/default.aspx?name=PW_AnimalServices  

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From: Hector Chavez [mailto:hchavez@eaglepasstx.us]

Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 7:56 AM

To: Audrey

Cc: 'Mary Velasquez'

Subject: RE: Shelter Euthanasia

Thank you for being involved in such a good cause. I also want to inform you that we do have an organization by the name of Project Companion that is also very interested in what you are proposing. If it is ok with you, I will forward your e mail to them as I do believe you could probably work with them. Thank you for your proposed donation to city council, but again you may want to consider working with Project Companion. If you will give me some time, I can come up with an estimate on the amount needed in order to properly staff our department, purchase necessary equipment and provide the necessary training.

Again, thank you for your participation and if there is anything else we can do, please let me know.

CLYDE ENDS GASSING!!

(1/4/12) "Sorry for the delay in getting back to you....In answer to your question, our carbon monoxide chamber was dismantled a while back and has not been in use for some time."

 Jean

C. Jean Gilmore

City Secretary

SEGUIN ENDS GASSING!

"The carbon monoxide (gas) chamber is no longer in use and has been removed from the facility." Leah Lewis, Animal Services Supervisor (1/2/12)

Another gas chamber GONE! In response to a recent open records request, 12/21/11 Elizabeth Trevino of the City of San Marcos wrote that the gas chamber "was auctioned off about a year ago and had not been used for quite awhile before that."

City of Kyle confirmed they are still contracting animal services with San Marcos. Waiting to hear back from Hays County.

Contact The City of KINGSVILLE NOW!

Vincent Capell (vcapell@cityofkingsville.com ) & Yolanda Cadena (ycadena@cityofkingsville.com )              Mayor Fugate (mfugate@cityofkingsville.com )

They are stating they WILL continue to gas because injection euthanasia is too hard emotionally and too intimate for the staff. *Kingsville may consider using a vet for euthanizing* Let them know you support that!

City of KINGSVILLE flip flops on the gassing issue

The City of Kingsville has been all over the place on the issue of gassing shelter animals. Below are emails from Kingsville officials as well as from a private citizen repeatedly asking for a resolution to this matter!

Response Sept 23, 2010

"The former City Manager has left to assume the City Manager position in Harlingen. I am serving as the Interim City Manager and read your email this morning. I've visited with the Health Director briefly and asked that department to start looking into an alternative method of euthanasia. We hope to have some proposals on this matter before the first of the year."

Kingsville Interim City Manager Courtney Alvarez (attny@cityofkingsville.com)

Email sent December 12, 2010 Asking about ending the gassing

Response Dec 17, 2010

“No decision has been made as of yet. The City-County Health Department is looking into other options and will be bringing information in within the next several weeks. If there are budget implications to make a change, then both the City Commission and the County Commissioner’s Court would need to approve the budgetary matters. We appreciate the additional information you have provided.”

Sincerely,

Courtney Alvarez

Interim City Manager

City of Kingsville

Email sent December 17, 2010 stating he will check back in the new year.

Email sent January 16, 2011 asking if a decision has been made about the end of gassing.

Email sent January 24, 2011 asking again for a decision.

Email sent February 8, 2011 why hasn’t their decision been made available yet.

Response Feb 9, 2011

“No decision has been made yet.”

Courtney Alvarez  attny@cityofkingsville.com

Email sent March 22, 2011 asking if a decision has been made

Email sent November 29, 2011 an issue that was supposed to be resolved by the end of 2010 still lingers near the end of 2011.

Response Nov 29, 2011

“I am in favor of the most humane form of euthanasia for our animals, which are largely the innocent victims of pet owners who fail to have their animals neutered or spayed as well as being the undeserving victims of those who mistreat their animals. But I am also in favor of considering the emotional impact that euthanizing these animals has on City employees who have assumed this extremely unpleasant task. Euthanasia by injection would be a more intimate and emotionally challenging experience for our employee and for that reason alone I am not supportive of having City employees utilize the injection method. The Health Director, Yolanda Cadena, is exploring the option of outsourcing this responsibility to local veterinarians. The outcome of this is option is not yet known nor has a funding source been identified for the increased cost.”

Vincent J. Capell

City Manager

200 E. Kleberg

PO Box 1458

Kingsville TX 78364

(361) 595-8002 – Voice

(361) 595-8024 – Fax

citymanager@cityofkingsville.com

2011 legislative session afforded Alabamians a chance to improve the way shelter animals are treated.

A bill to ban gas chambers, Beckham’s Bill, named for a pup rescued from an Alabama gas chamber moments before he was to be destroyed, was introduced by Sen. Del Marsh and Rep. Steve McMillan. 49 other legislators co-sponsored the bill (see our “Report Cards” page).

Animals put to death by gassing suffocate slowly and fight each other as they begin to panic. They lose bodily functions and have convulsions during the 30 to 40 minutes it takes to kill them. Virtually every animal welfare organization, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, states that intravenous injection is the most humane way to kill animals.

AVRAL believed the cruel and inhumane gas chamber must be banned and joined forces with the Alabama Humane Federation and the Alabama Animal Control Association to create legislation to ban gas chambers. AVRAL members emailed, called, and wrote letters to their representatives; they pressed hard for the ban. The Alabama State Senate voted 27-0 to ban the chamber, and the Alabama House of Representatives voted 99-0 for the ban. Not one legislator cast a “no” vote. On June 14, 2011, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley signed Beckham’s Bill into law. The last day shelters may gas animals to death is 12/31/11. By January 31, 2012, gassing shelters must have dismantled their chambers and show documented proof they have done so.

http://www.alabamavotesforanimals.org/key-issues-2/beckhams-law/  

Video of Allison speaking with the AL media. http://www.cbs42.com/content/localnews/story/Animal-rights-groups-fight-gas-chambers-in/L6uLaoJcjkGRjiIr2zdIkA.cspx