Update March 11, 2010: The Georgia House Rules Committee has released Grace's Law, H.B. 788, for a full vote by the House!

H.B. 788 would ban use of the remaining CO gas chambers to kill shelter animals in Georgia and also make heartstick illegal by statute. The bill is named for a dog, Grace, who survived a gassing.

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW

Anyone who lives in any of the counties or cities where CO gassing is still used to kill shelter animals (see list below) should call their state representative NOW and urge him or her to vote yes on H.B. 788 when it is called for a vote! Send your representative the documents attached for downloading below!

Even if you don't live in a gassing county or city, find your Georgia state representative here. (Click on "Find Your Legislator"under the picture of the Capitol, then click  "Vote-Smart" and on the left, under the box "Find Your Representative" type in your zip code, click GO! If you do not know your +4 ZIP, on the right side of this screen click "Don't know your 9 digit zip," follow the instructions, then go back to the legislative site and type it in under "Find Your Representative" and click GO!) Once you find your representative, click on his or her name for contact information.

Then fax or call your state rep and urge him or her to vote YES on Grace's Law, H.B. 788! 

Here is a list of counties or cities still using the outmoded gas chamber in Georgia:

• 1. Ashburn, City of (in Turner County; no county facility; chamber housed in City of Ashburn.)
• 2. Cobb County
• 3. Butts County Animal Control
• 4. Cordele, City of (In Crisp County)
• 5. Cuthbert, City of (In Randolph County; no county facility; chamber housed in City of Cuthbert.)
• 6. Haralson County Animal Shelter
• 7. Hawkinsville, City of (In Pulaski County; no county facility.
• 8. Henry County Animal Control
• 9. Lakeland, City of (In Lanier County; no county facility.)
• 10. Mitchell County Animal Control
• 11. Vienna, City of Animal Shelter (in Dooly County; no county facility)

Ask your family, friends, veterinarian, co-workers and fellow students who live in Georgia to call in support of Grace's Law.  If you don't live in Georgia, send this link to someone who does. Please be polite! 

For more on this bill, read Animal Law Coalition's report below.

Update February 17, 2010: Grace's Law, H.B. 788, introduced by Georgia state Rep. Tom Knox has passed the Science and Technology Committee. The vote was unanimous in favor of the bill that would close the loopholes in Georgia's Humane Euthanasia Act that still allow some counties and cities to use carbon monoxide gas chambers to kill shelter animals.

The bill would also make it illegal by statute to use heartstick unless the animal is heavily sedated, unconscious or comatose.

It's now on to a vote by the full Georgia House of Representatives!  

During the 2009 session, similar versions were tabled after House and Senate committee hearings.

Under this version carbon monoxide gas chambers along with decompression chambers and use of exhaust from gasoline engines and cruel heartstick would not be allowed as means to kill shelter animals. The bill is named Grace's Law for a dog that survived a ghastly CO gassing in Liberty County.

In almost all cases animals would be required to be euthanized by a lethal injection or oral ingestion of sodium pentobarbitol. There would be an exception for field emergencies. Also, another substance could be substituted for sodium pentobarbital, but it must be regarded as humane and approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association. None of the  neuromuscular blocking agents would be allowed as substitutes, however. (Those agents render the animal immobile but fully conscious and aware of what is happening.) 

Only a trained person could perform euthanasia and animals could not be left unattended during this process. 

H.B. 788 would also regulate the injections. Intravenous injection would be preferred with intraperitoneal available only if the former cannot be used. 

The bill is clear that intracardial injection or heartstick can only be used on unconscious, heavily sedated or comatose animals.

More About the bill

The bill, H.B. 788, would essentially shut the loopholes that allow several Georgia counties and cities to continue to use animal gas chambers. The bill would also codify the current GA Dept. of Agriculture regulation prohibiting heartstick except on unconscious, heavily sedated or comatose animals. It would mandate humane lethal injection or oral ingestion of sodium pentobarbital as the only means of euthanasia allowed throughout the state of Georgia.  

In its 2007 Euthanasia report the American Veterinary Medical Association stated euthanasia by injection of sodium pentobarbital or EBI is the preferred method for shelters to use in euthanizing animals.  For more information, read the attached information sheet that you can also download and send to Georgia legislators. 

If most Georgia counties and cities can use EBI, why can't they all? An attached study based on North Carolina shelters proves EBI is less expensive and also doesn't carry the risk of danger to workers. So why keep costly gas chambers?   

Go here for Georgia's current Humane Euthanasia Act and here for a look at litigation undertaken previously to force compliance.