Did You Know that Some Shelters in Canada ‘Euthanize’ Dogs and Cats in a Gas Chamber Ban the Use of Gas Chambers in Canada!

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On Saturday June 1^st 2013 there was a peaceful protest held  across the street from the SPCA Outaouaislocated at 132 rue De Varennes, Gatineau Quebec. It was my hope that this protest event would help bring light to the fact that Gas Chambers are still legal and used in some Canadian shelters on a regular basis to remove dogs and cats from the world of the living...

• Would help to bring the issue to the attention of the community at large;
• Like other communities where gas chambers are used - the majority of the residents of this area have no idea that gas chambers to kill animals exist, let alone that there is one in this area being used on a regular basis;
• The problem of gas chamber use is not just a problem for the shelters like the SPCA Outaouais that use a Gas Chamber - it is, in my opinion a problem that involves the entire community and, therefore the entire community must be part of the solution;
• It is a problem that must be brought to light;
• It is a problem that must be dealt with;
• It is a problem in which people must engage themselves;
• However engagement in the issue and its resolution must be a partnership between members of the community and the shelter = for in the lack of co-operation between those involved the issue may only become more exacerbated rather than solved...

I do not think it possible for the Outaouis SPCA to shut-down their gas chamber today, tomorrow, next week...

• I am a very committed animal advocate but I do believe that making a difference in this world often requires patience, compassion and understanding of all that may be involved to action real and permanent change; 
• I believe that it is very important to lead by example of what it is that one desires to achieve...
• I believe that in order to move the agenda forward to cessation of the gas chamber located at the SPCA Outaouais requires compassion for all involved and working within the system currently in-place in order to effect change.
• I hope the future, the members of that protest group will come to the conclusion that in order to effect change in a way that will best protect the well being and best interests of cats and dogs in the community now and in the future - that they (the protest group) will seek to work with the Outaouais SPCA rather than in conflict with them - which is unfortunately what I see currently developing;
• For the reason I have left the protest group - but this article is my plea to the community at large to:
• Step-up and assist the Outaouais SPCA in developing a viable plan to shut down the gas chamber;
• To strengthen the laws in Quebec and in Canada to better protect our companion animals, and;
• To make illegal the use of gas chambers in Canada...

A Complicated Issue - Who Should Take Responsibility for Ending the Use Of Gas Chambers?

The short answer is that every one should take responsibility for what is happening in the community.

#1 - We should not be euthanizing (killing) dogs and cats and that is the root of the issue.

#2 - Puppy Mills should be banned outright, outlawed and made illegal.

#3 - Animal Welfare laws in Quebec and in the balance of Canada must be strengthened.

#4 - Gas Chambers should be made illegal in all of Canada.

While the use of gas chambers is still legal in Quebecmost shelter facilities do not use such methods to euthanize the animals in their care.  

Responsibility to Speak Out Against The Use of Gas Chambers Belongs to Everyone, Including...

• The shelters who are currently using gas chambers - for if they do not inform the public the community cannot help partner with the shelter to create an environment where the gas chamber can be shut-down;
• Upon being informed of the gas chamber the individuals that make up the immediate community should get involved in a plan to support the shelter in ending the use of the gas chamber;
• The support of local, private veterinary clinics;
• Professional and regulatory bodies such as the various Veterinary Associations should step-up to the plate and unequivocally reject the use of gas chambers as a method to euthanize animals;
• Municipal, provincial and the federal government should make it illegal to sue gas chambers to kill animals in Gas Chambers...
• All of the above make up the Community that must participate to effect change in how our companion animals are cared for in the shelter setting.  

When we do not speak out - we are all implicated in the brutality that occurs as an end result of our silence. 

Quebec is undeniably the province with the highest number of abandoned cats and dogs. The average time a family in Quebec keeps a dog is about 19 months. All shelters and rescues in Quebec and the bordering provinces know that summer time is particularly bad, as residents of Quebec go on holiday, and on the most popular weekend to move in the summer -  the rate of dog and cat abandonment escalates. 
 
The SPCA Outaouais is a perfect example of a shelter that desperately needs the support of the Community.

To fund the facility and its operations (including maintenance of the gas chamber and supply of gas for its deathly use) the SPCA Outaouais relies heavily on donations from the community. Yet the community for the most part is unaware that the SPAC runs a gas chamber. The volume of animal intake at the shelter is very high and the number of animals adopted out has great room for improvement, subsequently the rate of euthanasia is high. Annual intake sits between 9200 to 8500 animals per year of which about one third are euthanized.

This is a shelter that needs the help of the Community in order to make the future more humane for those animals that come in to the shelter. They also need the community to be more responsible so that the shelter is not inundated due to lack of responsibility by pet owners.

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