Cat survives 2 euthanasia attempts at Utah shelter

[The Straight Story]

Cat survives 2 euthanasia attempts at Utah shelter

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) - A stray cat has survived two trips to a Utah animal shelter's gas chamber, leading shelter volunteers to seek a switch of its euthanasia method to lethal injection, which they called more humane.

Volunteers with the West Valley City's animal shelter were expected to appear at a city council meeting Tuesday evening to argue for the switch from carbon monoxide poisoning to injections of sodium pentobarbital.

No one adopted Andrea, a longhaired black cat with white paws and green eyes, in 30 days, so shelter officials tried to put her to death in October. She survived, so they gassed her again.

Shelter officials detected no vital signs and presumed she was dead after the second try, so they put her in a plastic bag in a cooler. But when they checked the bag, they saw she had vomited on herself and had hypothermia, but was alive.

Officials decided to stop trying to kill her.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45862539#.TwOZ-_I2hIE

[Lefta Dissenter]

1. Definitely

used up two of her nine lives.

(actually, that story made me cry, but I can't post the tears on DU)

[Solly Mack]

2. I'm glad she found a home.

[AtomicKitten]

11. Me too.

[NathanTheGreat]

3. Clone this cat

I first want to know if there was something wrong with the euthanasia chamber, but if it's working properly, we have a super cat.

This thing should be studied and cloned...everyone will want The Immortal Kitten in their stocking next year.

[kayakjohnny]

4. Seven to go.

Good girl.

Hang in there, Andrea.

[alphafemale]

5. By any chance does kitty look like this now?

?9d7bd4

Kidding.

Poor kitty. Hope you have a good life from here on out.

[TheWraith]

6. Or, maybe you should stop trying to execute animals altogether?

Legions of animal shelters do okay for themselves on a "no kill" policy. Just saying.

[dionysus]

8. i agree with your sentiment, but so many people neglect to spay\neuter, even no kill

shelters can run out of space\money. it's a preventable shame, too.

[Critters2]

24. I used to be on the board of a low-kill shelter. It was so difficult.

We were constantly looking for ways to NOT have to euthanize. We had to contact other shelters who might have room when we didn't, and, on rare occasions, we euthanized animals who were unadoptable because of health or behavioral issues. I can't imagine how strict no-kill shelters do it.

If only people would spay and neuter.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

7. I have two cats and I nearly vomited after reading this post. I'm so happy that someone adopted

Andrea!!

[justiceischeap]

9. Carbon monoxide poisoning as euthanasia is quite problematic

This sort of thing happens all the time, actually. There's a "shelter" in North Carolina that backs a truck up to their "chamber," attaches a hose to the exhaust pipe and then to the box and that's how they euthanize their animals.

[dionysus]

10. that was how the germans did it in WW2, initially, too. with automobile exhaust. yeesh.

[Cleita]

12. They still gas animals in the shelters?

That is so inhumane and poor Andrea to have to suffer through that twice.

[justiceischeap]

13. It's pretty cheap to build a wooden box and back a vehicle up to it

That's how it's done in most under-funded shelters that use that type of euthanasia.

[Cleita]

14. I surprised PETA isn't on it.

Maybe all the money they collect could be used to help those shelters.

[justiceischeap]

16. They do.

In North Carolina, they send folks down to do the humane euthanasia and if a shelter applied for a grant from PETA for humane euthanasia, if PETA has the funds, they will help them.

[Cleita]

20. I'm glad to hear that. n/t

[The Straight Story]

17. reminds me of something I saw today :) :

[Ecumenist]

18. The Straight Story, you made my day!!

[Cleita]

19. ROFL!

I do enjoy gallows humor. Thanks for the laugh.

[flvegan]

22. How is that, TSS?

[flvegan]

27. Yeah, didn't think you'd respond to this.

[alphafemale]

28. The guy was trying to convince the bear to be a vegetarian with cheap stunts and self-righteousness.

sharing this

[flvegan]

23. They are. But, around here

they'll be called hypocrites because as a shelter of last resort they euthanize animals. You see, PETA/animal rights and welfare haters around here have an almost pathetic foothold.

Education fails them, even with the internets.

[The Straight Story]

25. One can like some things peta does but not like how they do it, kind of like politics

There are things about PETA that are just plain stupid, there are things about DU I don't like too - but I still like the ideals/etc behind some of those things. I am a Christian, but don't like a lot of things churches do.

I am guessing you have no criticism at all ever of PETA? Cause if you do, you might just be a 'hater'.

[flvegan]

26. You'd be wrong.

You should look at what I target before making such a stupid suggestion.

So...guess again.

[The Straight Story]

30. OK, so you have some criticism of them

does that make you a hater? Does it mean you don't like everything they do? Does it mean you don't have a sense of humor?

According to you, you do have some criticism of them. What would that be?

[Motown_Johnny]

15. 9 lives, gonna take 7 more trys

[Raine]

21. So glad Andrea got a home

but it still breaks my heart for those who don't.

[Enrique]

29. nice try

[Liberal_in_LA]

31. "Officials decided to stop trying to kill her"

...