New York Governor Signs Bill to Ban Gas Chambers

Update Oct. 29: New York Governor David Paterson has signed into law AB 999!  This law bans the use of CO gas chambers to kill shelter animals and requires shelters to dismantle and remove them!

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

Original report: A bill to ban gas chambers that has passed the New York State Assembly the past 2 years but not the Senate, has once again been introduced.  

AB 999 would mandate except in an emergency the use of injection of sodium pentobarbital or a sodium pentabarbital solution to euthanize animals in public shelters. 

Intracardiac injection, commonly known as heartstick, could only be used on unconscious, comatose or "heavily sedated" animals.

Animals could not be left unattended and death would be required to be confirmed. Failure to comply with either of these requirements could mean a $500 fine. 

The bill would require gas chambers to be dismantled and removed. Failure to do that could mean a $500 fine.

In an emergency gunshot could be used to kill an animal. An  emergency means when an animal is  posing  an imminent  threat  of serious physical injury to a person or to another animal, where the use of a humane method of euthanasia  is  rendered impossible or in cases where a severely injured animal is suffering irremediably.

Violations of this law could mean up to a  year in jail and a $1000 fine.

For a look at bills and laws in other states that address use of the gas chamber or other cruel methods of killing shelter animals….