A cat is up for adoption in Utah after foiling the local animal shelter's attempts to euthanize her not once but twice. Andrea was found as a stray and taken to West Valley City's Animal Shelter, where she was to be euthanized after no one came to claim her.
Using a method recommended by the American Veterinarian Association, an employee put her in a gas chamber with a number of other cats. After the chamber was run once, Andrea was found still alive. The employee closed the chamber and ran the gas again before then put her in a bag and placed in a cooler where they are stored until they can be properly disposed of. When some employees came back 45 minutes later to put a dog they had just euthanized into the same cooler, they got a bit of a surprise.
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"They heard a meow, and they looked at each other and they heard the meow again, louder, tore open the bag, there was Andrea, looking at them terrified, wide eyed and very much still alive," said Janita Coombs, a worker at the Community Animal Welfare Society. After the second attempt to euthanize the cat failed, the shelter's manager handed her over to the Community Animal Welfare Society. The animal welfare organization hopes she can become the "spokescat" against the use of gas chambers for animal euthanasia.
Similar groups have taken issue with the practice, saying it is cruel. West Valley City, however, stands by the method. "It's actually very humane," said Aaron Crim, a spokesman for West Valley City. "It's very quick, this is just an anomaly." Since Andrea has been given a third chance, she appears to be healthy with no after effects from the euthanasia.
5 comments:
As humane as what the nazis did to the jews.
I was thinking the exact same thing, William.
Cruelty. Nothing less.
It's not terribly cruel if they gas something using nitrogen (you can't smell or taste it, simply go a bit dopey, but think you're fine and then keel over).. I doubt that's what they used though.
If people would spay and neuter their cats and dogs, we wouldn't have this problem. This cat is one lucky one...
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