Better than brownies for breakfast

I must confess that sometimes, on a chilly morning when we come back from our morning hike, I indulge in a brownie instead of the healthy porridge I normally try to stick to. But this morning I read something sweeter than that: )))
The Top Story from this mornings Cape Breton Post
Cape Breton SPCA preparing to remove its gas chamber
Cats will be put down by lethal injection
ERIN POTTIE The Cape Breton Post
Kelly McDonald, shelter assistant with the SPCA in Whitney Pier, holds one of the many cats available for adoption. Shelter officials are changing the method of euthanization for those cats which are sick or cannot be adopted. Nancy King - Cape Breton Post
SYDNEY — The Cape Breton branch of the SPCA is removing its gas chamber used to euthanize cats.
Branch manager Patsy Rose said the non-profit shelter is trying to acquire funding so staff can be trained to lethally inject felines in an area plagued with an overpopulation of companion animals.
“It’s not going to be something that happens boom-boom because our staff has to be trained,” Rose said. “We’re hoping by the end of the year we will have this out and gone, maybe sooner, but that’s our plan for 2009.”Cape Breton commonly euthanizes dogs by lethal injection, but unlike other SPCA branches in the province, has been relying on a chamber of carbon dioxide to euthanize cats for more than 20 years.
“We’d loved to be able to say we don’t do (euthanizations) anymore; only if they are sick or injured. It would be great,” said Rose. “That’s one job that no one wants to do, but with so many animals being out there and people not having them spayed or neutered we end up getting overpopulated and we just can’t find homes for them all.
”The Cape Breton branch is one of the busiest in the province and has to euthanize large numbers of cats and dogs each year, though those numbers are declining.Over 3,900 animals were admitted to the Whitney Pier shelter in 2008, including 2,414 cats and 1,522 dogs.
Of those, a total 1,096 cats were euthanized last year, most were domestic animals, with 194 were put down as a result of space constraints and 902 for medical or behavioural reasons. Rose said those numbers represent a drastic cut in euthanizations compared to previous years as a result of increased adoptions. Adoption rates rose from 60 per cent in 2006 to between 80-83 per cent this year.
Numbers are expected to lower next year as the branch is no longer euthanizing animals for the public, as of last week. Instead those animals will now have to be taken to a veterinarian.“It’s not going to change anything as far as euthanasia. We still have to euthanize animals,” said Rose. “It’s just a different method of doing it. It’s just a better method.”
Animal lover Angela Granchelli of Halifax, formerly of Cape Breton, said gas chambers bring about varied public perceptions.
Granchelli is not a member of the SPCA organization, but similarly promotes spaying and neutering animals to avoid overpopulation and further euthanizations on her website www.novascotiacats.com.
“The public hate the gas chamber and there’s different theories as to why. Some people think it’s because people equate it with the Holocaust,” said Granchelli. “I don’t know if that’s true, it certainly doesn’t sound very pleasant. It may or may not be less humane but people certainly view it as so. It can be for feral cats because a lot of them have respiratory illnesses so it’s a really unpleasant death if they have a respiratory illness because they can’t get the gas into their lungs.”
The Cape Breton SPCA and Cape Breton Regional Municipality are currently working toward lessening the cat population through a feline sterilization program. The program spays or neuters approximately 300 cats per year and is available for low-income cat owners who make below $25,000 annually.
I noticed in the comments on the articles that one person wrote: Ok to whoever said the cats don't feel it, you need to go into the shelter and watch one die in it yourself before you say that. it aint pretty and they most certainly do feel it and in fact they actualy scratch and claw to get out as they suffocate to their death it's very disturbing and nothing like the slow death you describe in a car. i am so glad that the provincial SPCA is finally forcing these people to get that disgusting thing out of there. Now that sounds like someone who did work there but didn't have the stomach for killing with the gas chamber.
As part of my military training, over the years we all had periodic NBCD training - Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense. My least favourite part of the training was the part where we were in the gas chamber when they released the gas and THEN had to put on our gas masks. Even knowing it was training, even knowing I had the refuge of the gas mask as soon as I could get it properly on my face, it was still a horrible thing. If I knew it was going on, if I knew it would end and it was still that bad.... imagine what it must be like for cats and dogs who have no idea whats going on .... and who have no relief at hand.
At the end of the day, there are few who would argue in favour of the use of a gas chamber anywhere.
Discussion of the accuracy of the Branch claims to improved adoption rates for this year vice their traditional creative license is a separate rant for another day.
Right here, right now .... it is still a pretty big deal for the branch to be announcing both their plans for removing the gas chamber and their new policy of not accepting animals to be killed at the owners request.

If you haven't already read them, the online minutes of the meeting that was held with the Cape Breton SPCA branch and three directors from the provincial board make for very interesting reading:
Meeting of Provincial Board Representatives
and Cape Breton Branch Representatives
February 14, 2009
Sydney, NS
MINUTES
Present:
Mel Neville (President, Cape Breton SPCA Board of Directors; Director, Nova Scotia SPCA Board of Directors)
Whitfield Best (Director, Cape Breton SPCA Board of Directors)
Patsy Rose (Manager, Cape Breton SPCA)
Dave Rozee, DVM (Advising Veterinarian to Cape Breton SPCA)
Andrew Morrison, MVB, BSc (Director, Nova Scotia SPCA Board of Directors)
Kat Horne (Director, Nova Scotia SPCA Board of Directors)
Sean Kelly (Director, Nova Scotia SPCA Board of Directors)
Animal Control
Mel reported that their town council sponsors the Cape Breton SPCA to do low-income spay/neuters. It was suggested that if they are getting funding for a spay/neuter program, they need to capitalize on this and ensure that the City understands the cost of such a program and determine at what level they are willing to contribute.
Mel reported that they are currently in negotiations for a new 5-year contract with the City for Animal Control services, including a cat-call pickup program where the SPCA would be asked to go to specified locations and collect colonies of cats that have been reported by the tenants as requiring removal. Mel was asked to ensure that they request a "pay-per-call" fee system for this program; otherwise, this will cost them too much to manage.
Discussion was held around the fact that the Cape Breton SPCA has shared Animal Control/Cruelty staff; that is, they have staff acting in both the Special Constable role for cruelty as well as the Animal Control role for the City. It was discussed that it is very important that when the staff member is doing an AC function, they wear their AC coat; when they are doing an SPCA cruelty function, they wear their SPCA coat. Discussed at length why it is so important that the two are kept separate.
Gas Chamber
Some initial discussion was held around the fact of whether the gas chamber is a more humane method of killing than T61. While all agreed that T61 is not a preferred method vs. vet-supervised euthanization, Sean listed the requirements of a properly run gas chamber and pointed out that the cost Public Minutes of Provincial and Cape Breton Branch Meeting of February 14, 2009
of euthanizing properly using the gas chamber would be more expensive than doing vet-supervised euthanizations.
Further, discussion was held that there is a movement of the general public and membership that the perception and intolerance of the gas chamber in North America is a reality. The Nova Scotia SPCA has had a policy against the gas chamber since 2001, so the reality is that the gas chamber must be removed. After some discussion, it was agreed by all that in order to move forward in the eyes of our membership and the general public, the gas chamber at the Cape Breton SPCA shelter would be removed in accordance with Nova Scotia SPCA policy.
Discussion was then held around the plan and process of getting this done. It was agreed that the Cape Breton SPCA would develop a plan of action to include a target date for removal of the gas chamber. Mel was asked to provide this proposed plan of action in writing to the provincial board of directors and to call upon any board members that he would like to receive assistance from in order to achieve this goal. Kat, Sean, and Andrew all offered any assistance required to get the plan of action done.
There was much discussion surrounding the issue of money. Patsy reported that they are unable to afford changes, yet reported that they are spending $15k-$25k per year on disposal of bodies. Patsy reported that they are killing feral cats at an alarming rate and when asked why they are taking in feral cats only to kill them, they said they felt it was the humane thing to do for them. Much discussion was held around the myth that feral cats are better off dead and all agreed that they would immediately cease killing of feral cats after receiving a recommended policy from Sean on feral cats. Sean is also to provide CB with an information letter on feral cats that will be passed on to the public letting them know that the CBSPCA no longer accepts feral cats.
Patsy also reported that they spend a lot of money euthanizing unwanted pets that they simply have no room for. She reported that people will call them and say "come get my dog or I will shoot it" so they go pick up the dog and bring it in and either euthanize it or euthanize another dog to make space for that one. Again, discussion was held around the fact that while we think we are doing the most humane thing for the pet, it is wrong to accept a pet only to kill it and all agreed that they would immediately cease this practice and that unless they have room for a surrender, they are to refuse to take it and if there is any kind of threat of cruelty to the animal, they are to record the license place of the owner and have a special constable follow up with them.
As a result of this discussion, it was agreed that the Cape Breton SPCA will write an intake policy that includes taking surrenders only if there is space, what the fee will be to accept surrenders, and that there will be no more intake of feral cats unless the animal is injured or pregnant. They were asked to submit this policy to the board of directors as soon as possible. Sean offered to provide them with a copy of the draft new intake policy that the Metro shelter has just written.
Cape Breton Public Relations
Discussion was held about the general attitude towards the Cape Breton SPCA and the general feeling that much of the attitude is unjustified. Mel and Patsy both pointed out that they are doing the best they can with what they have and that they feel they have been treated unfairly by some groups of people, that they receive little support from the provincial board, and that they often don’t know what the board is doing. It was noted that Mel is part of the provincial board, that the board is there to support all the branches, and that attendance at meetings must happen in order to get that support and to learn what the
Page 2 of 3 Public Minutes of Provincial and Cape Breton Branch Meeting of February 14, 2009 Page 3 of 3
board is doing. Mel reported that he has had issues with phone line quality with the skype for board meetings, and Sean reported that we are no longer using skype as it was not successful so we are now using conference lines so those problems should be gone and that Mel’s participation at provincial board meetings is strongly encouraged.
We discussed at length that perception is reality and that the Cape Breton shelter needs to get into the media. They had concerns about things that some people were saying about them or writing about them on the internet, and discussion was held that people have a right to their opinions and that our job as a society is that when we disagree with what people are saying about us, we must write a press release or go to the media and defend our position, let the public know the struggles they are under, and ask for public support. Kat talked about the things that the Metro shelter has done to get public support and Sean described how one bad-luck story in the media generated $7,000 in donations. Mel acknowledged that they need to find ways to get the message out there more and pointed out that they have a PR student who has offered to volunteer with them. We offered to write press releases for them any time they need help on that front and that their PR student is welcome to contact us for any support they need. It was also suggested that they put together a list of any and all possible questions that may come to them at the AGM and formulate the answers so they are prepared to discuss their situation. Also suggested was that they go to the media with the changes they HAVE made to make the shelter more humane.
We also discussed and agreed that a big step in taking accountability for changes to the gas chamber situation is to make the minutes of this meeting public.
Training
Mel reported that they are in need of training for their special constables. Sean reported that our Chief Provincial Investigator is building a training program and that there will be a training session in the coming months and that one special constable from Cape Breton will be brought in to complete the training.
Summary and Recommendations
Dr. Dave Rozee stated that he felt very encouraged by outlook of our group, our approach, and that he appreciated that we came to meet with them. He also pointed out that he liked where the conversation was going and felt hopeful for change. Mel and Patsy both commented that this was the first time they felt that anyone actually cared about their situation and that anyone was willing to help them.
As noted above, it was agreed that both an intake policy as well as a plan of action to remove the gas chamber would be submitted to the provincial board of directors as soon as possible.
At the end of the day, this is more than any board in the past has done about the Cape Breton Branch. When previous boards allowed the branch to continue using the gas chamber, not only were they permitting an obscenity, but they never provided the Cape Breton branch with any reason to stop the killing.
I really like that the site visit wasn't conducted like a band of avenging angels but rather by trying to offer achievable solutions to help the branch meet their goals. As a sidebar to that, I REALLY liked that in that spirit, the board members brought back eleven dogs to Metro.
Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph. - Haile Selassie