37 Ohio Dogs Killed in "Homemade" Gas Chamber

Ruth Wilders living in Brown County, Ohio, has been rescuing stray dogs over the years, permitting them to live on her 5.5 acre property. According to county officials, the dog warden has been concerned about the condition of the animals and has visited her in the past. But some animal lovers are now furious with Andrew Dunn, the Brown County, "Dog Catcher" for seizing 37 dogs from Wilders and immediately gassing them to death. The Ohio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced that on Friday, February 10, Andrew Dunn illegally seized 37 dogs from Wilders' property, killing them immediately in the county shelter's gas chamber, which is allegedly a "homemade" structure rather than one that is a commercially built. And while Dunn claimed the dogs were sickly, underweight and possibly had mange, mange is not a condition that requires animals to be euthanized. Additionally, Dunn chose not to follow proper procedures since, according to the OSPCA, the dogs were taken without a warrant and marked as strays, not given the prescribed 72 hours which is used to evaluate the dog's condition, and to offer Wilders the opportunity to reclaim her pets. Local member of the animal rescue community consider Dunn's actions to be considered the "callous murder of 37 innocents" and deeply disturbed that Dunn chose to "gas" the dogs, rather than euthanize them humanely using lethal injection, a method used by most veterinarians. Additionally the OSPCA is considering taking legal action against the county for the needless killing of the dogs. According to David Hurst, the assistant warden, until recently the gas chamber has been the primary method the county shelter used to euthanize animals. What is totally sickening and unforgivable to this writer is that Hurst went on to say that the condemned animals were placed in carriers, and then they put as many carriers into the chamber as possible, then turn on the gas, which could take up to 40 minutes for the animals to die. It makes me shudder to even think about this method. Hurst defended Dunn saying he has only been in the position of Dog Warden for a few months and is now moving in the direction of using lethal injection to euthanize animals. He and another assistant warden will be trained in this method this coming Spring. Pending completion of their training, county veterinarians will handle euthanization using lethal injections. The gas chamber will no longer be used -- the only silver lining to this story. The OSPCA is demanding that all shelter records be made available for inspection. The Care2 Petition Site has provided a convenient link for those wishing to share their opinion with the Brown County commissioner at thepetitionsite.com. What do you think about this incident? Share by leaving a comment. Image Source: Flickr user saxcubano