No to AO 21

I recently wrote about the new administrative order 21 (AO 21), that the Department of Agriculture passed which specifies the forms of euthanasia for dogs and cats. The AO allows for the gassing (or tambucho gassing, to be exact — gassing the dogs to death with the use of car exhaust fumes) as a form of euthanasia.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) program director Anna Cabrera has presented various papers from the American Veterinary Medical Association and many international welfare organizations that state that gassing or use of carbon monoxide poisoning through vehicle exhaust fumes is cruel and inhumane.

Among the 14 members who are of the opinion that gassing via tambucho should be accepted as a way of humanely killing unclaimed stray dogs are representatives of the following organizations and institutions:

1. Philippine Veterinary Medical Association

2. Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines (VPAP)

3. Philippine Animal Hospital Association (PA HA)

4. Philippine College of Canine Practitioners (PCCP)

5. Philippine Society of Animal Science (PSAS)

6. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG);

7. Department of Education (DepEd)

8. Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA)

9. Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources

(DENR)

10. National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS)

11. Philippine Society of Swine Practitioners (PSSP)

How can anyone be so cruel?

“The concern of the other CAW members seems to be the cost of sodium pentobarbital or Euthal, the lethal drug which is injected and causes the animal to just sleep until the heart stops beating. Injection of barbiturates is our recommendation as the only allowable method of euthanasia for unclaimed stray dogs in pounds,” added Anna. “Animal welfare groups have argued that the cost of about P15 for the drug needed to put down one dog is not an unreasonable expense for local government units who care about giving these animals a humane and painless death.”

Of course, the provincial, city and municipal veterinarians argue that gassing via single-stroke engine tambucho is cheaper than buying Euthal, which costs a little less than P5 per dog.

* * *

Petlife continues to appeal to the Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala to retract the DA’s approval of the ghastly Administrative Order.

* * *

Since AO 21 is quite long, I have opted to print a few excerpts, which are pertinent to the gassing of dogs and cats.

“Section 6: Approved methods of euthanasia  “Euthanasia shall only be performed by a duly licensed veterinarian.

“6.1 Non-inhalant (Barbiturate)

“6.2 Inhalants

“ 6.2.a  Carbon Monoxide

“6.2.a.a  Carbon monoxide produced by any gasoline powered engine or commercially compressed carbon monoxide may be used.

“6.2.a.b  The chamber shall be designed that the animals inside are not too crowded and could be viewed from the outside.

“6.2.b      Carbon Dioxide

“6.2.b.a  Carbon dioxide is acceptable for euthanasia in appropriate species.

“6.2.b.bCompressed carbon dioxide gas in cylinders is the only recommended source of Carbon dioxide because the inflow to the chamber can be regulated precisely.

“6.2.b.c Carbon dioxide generated by other methods such as dry ice, fire extinguishers or chemical means (e.g. antacids) is unacceptable.

“Section 7. The agents and methods of euthanasia for animals “Cats and Dogs (domestic and wild) barbiturates, inhalant anesthetics, carbon dioxide (in cylinder), carbon monoxide (from a car exhaust using gasoline engine), potassium chloride,  magnesium sulfate in conjunction with general anesthetics, gunshot.”

* * *

Last July 12, PAWS wrote to Agriculture Secretary Alcala asking him to stop the cruelty.

The letter says:

“PAWS and SPCA have voted against the inclusion of gassing via vehicle exhaust fumes because they have received firsthand accounts of the suffering it causes to the animals being put to death. Witnesses narrate how dogs thrash about and whimper in pain for as long as five to seven minutes before they die.  This method ranks also the highest in accidental poisoning of Animal Control Facility workers in the US before gassing was made illegal in majority of the states.”

“The recommended method is the injection of sodium pentobarbital or Euthal, which brings about a peaceful, seemingly-sleep-induced death within less than a minute from the time the veterinarian injects the drug into the vein of the animal.”

“The matter of difference in cost which is about P15 per dog, is something that can easily be incorporated in city veterinarian offices’ budgets as the prevention of cruelty in animals — especially in animals which are to be put to death — is a primary concern for progressive and humane societies.” 

“We are seeking your Office’s assistance in the retraction of approval of the attached Administrative Order.”