NACA & Philippines move against gassing

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 2010:
(published October 5, 2010)

KANSAS CITY, MANILA–Gassing homeless animals moved closer
toward abolition worldwide on September 15, 2010 when the U.S.
National Animal Control Association withdrew approval of gassing,
three weeks after Philippine Department of Agriculture secretary
Proceso Alcala deleted gassing with automotive exhaust fumes from the
Philippine Revised Rules & Regulations on the Euthanasia of Animals.
Alcala referred the proposed administrative rule that would have
authorized gassing with exhaust back to the departmental committee on
animal welfare for reconsideration. Philippine animal control
agencies are still allowed to kill animals with bottled carbon
monoxide or carbon dioxide.

The amended NACA policy on killing methods now states, “NACA
considers lethal injection of sodium pentobarbital, administered by
competent, trained personnel, to be the only method of choice
utilized for humane euthanasia of animal shelter dogs and cats. NACA
acknowledges that there are agencies legally restricted in their
ability to obtain sodium pentobarbital. In such cases the
alternative must be to seek out local veterinarians to provide
euthanasia services utilizing sodium pentobarbital. NACA condemns
the use of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, nitrous oxide,
argon, or anesthetic gases as well as physical methods such as
electrocution, gunshot, and blunt force trauma for animal shelter
euthanasia of dogs and cats.”
The NACA policy does not mention killing animals by
decompression. Formed in 1978, NACA in early years hosted keen
internal debate about decompression, but formally disapproved of it
several years before 1985, when it was last used by an animal
control agency within the U.S.
Concludes the NACA policy, “NACA very strongly urges
agencies that are unable to legally obtain sodium pentobarbital, to
work diligently towards passing legislation which would allow direct
purchase of euthanasia drugs by licensed shelters, and require
training and certification of staff.”
The Philippine deletion of approval of gassing with
automotive exhaust fumes followed a year-long campaign by the
Philippine Animal Welfare Society, in opposition to 12 of the 14
members of the agricultural ministry committee on animal welfare,
including all of the members representing veterinarians and
government agencies. The committee voted to approve gassing with
automotive exhaust fumes in June 2010. PAWS and the Philippine SPCA
were the only opponents on the committee. The opponents received
support, however, from Batangas Province governor Vilma
Santos-Recto and provincial veterinarian Marvin L. Rocafort, and the
mayors and city veterinarians serving the cities of Bacoor Cavite,
Mandaluyong, Makati, Marikina, and Quezon.