Thursday, March 12, 2009

Gas chamber refugees

Unnamed GSD pup


Luna


Carly


Betty

The two light coloured dogs are from Quebec and the two black dogs are from Ohio (I'm told that black dogs sometimes have a hard time getting adopted in the States which is why a lot of the dogs TAS rescues from Ohio are black). Both Ohio and Quebec are states/provinces in North America which still have pounds using gas chambers to kill abandoned dogs.

This is unacceptable. You'd think the people responsible for overseeing the killing of perfectly good dogs would have enough compassion to at least make sure their death sentences are carried out in the most humane way possible as opposed to the easiest way possible because, you see, it's a lot easier to pile a whole bunch of dogs into a gas chamber and flip a switch and have them asphyxiate on carbon monoxide than it is to have to do individual injections.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause extreme physical anguish in the form of headaches, nausea, convulsions. I mean, hell, the dogs are asphyxiating for fuck's sake. Maybe the lucky ones "fall asleep" first and then die while the unlucky ones, the stronger ones, experience what must amount to someone sticking plastic bags over their heads and tying the bags tight around their throats.

Supporters of using gas chambers to kill dogs say that all the disparaging talk against carbon monoxide poisoning is just misinformation. They claim it's painless and quick.

They keep the dogs in the gas chamber for 40 minutes. That doesn't sound like a quick death to me. And sometimes, dogs make it out alive only to be put through the procedure again the following kill session.

Supporters of using gas chambers claim that the dogs drift off and don't experience any discomfort. That's obviously bullshit and you know why I know that's bullshit?

Because gas isn't used to kill people.

In assisted suicides, who would ever condone the use of gas as the preferred method of death? Or in those states that still have the death penalty, when does anyone ever get sent to the gas chamber? These things don't happen because death by gas carries with it a high probability of being tortuous.

No kidding.

Once again, it's asphyxiation for fuck's sake. I don't know of any air breathing creature that asphyxiates to death gracefully.

Anyway, a lot has already been written about this and here's some of it.

This is an old one posted up by some anonymous person on craigslist. Hell, I wouldn't want to sign my name to it either.

Yes, I Gas Dogs and Cats for a Living. I'm an Animal Control officer in a very small town in central North Carolina. I'm in my mid thirties, and have been working for the town in different positions since high school.

There is not much work here, and working for the county provides good pay and benefits for a person like me without a higher education. I'm the person you all write about how horrible I am.

I'm the one that gasses the dogs and cats and makes them suffer. I'm the one that pulls their dead corpses out smelling of Carbon Monoxide and throws them into green plastic bags. But I'm also the one that hates my job and hates what I have to do.

First off, all you people out there that judge me, don't. God is judging me, and I know I'm going to Hell. Yes, I'm going to hell. I wont lie, it's despicable, cold, cruel and I feel like a serial killer. I'm not all to blame, if the law would mandate spay and neuter, lots of these dogs and cats wouldn't be here for me to gas. I'm the devil, I know it, but I want you people to see that there is another side to me the devil Gas Chamber man.
The shelter usually gasses on Friday morning.

Friday's are the day that most people look forward to, this is the day that I hate, and wish that time will stand still on Thursday night. Thursday night, late, after nobody's around, my friend and I go through a fast food line, and buy 50 dollars worth of cheeseburgers and fries, and chicken. I'm not allowed to feed the dogs on Thursday, for I'm told that they will make a mess in the gas chamber, and why waste the food.

So, Thursday night, with the lights still closed, I go into the saddest room that anyone can every imagine, and let all the doomed dogs out out their cages.

I have never been bit, and in all my years doing this, the dogs have never fought over the food. My buddy and I, open each wrapper of cheeseburger and chicken sandwich, and feed them to the skinny, starving dogs.

They swallow the food so fast, that I don't believe they even taste it. There tails are wagging, and some don't even go for the food, they roll on their backs wanting a scratch on their bellys. They start running, jumping and kissing me and my buddy. They go back to their food, and come back to us. All their eyes are on us with such trust and hope, and their tails wag so fast, that I have come out with black and blues on my thighs.. They devour the food, then it's time for them to devour some love and peace. My buddy and I sit down on the dirty, pee stained concrete floor, and we let the dogs jump on us. They lick us, they put their butts in the air to play, and they play with each other. Some lick each other, but most are glued on me and my buddy.

I look into the eyes of each dog. I give each dog a name.

They will not die without a name.

I give each dog 5 minutes of unconditional love and touch.

I talk to them, and tell them that I'm so sorry that tomorrow they will die a gruesome, long, torturous death at the hands of me in the gas chamber.

Some tilt their heads to try to understand.

I tell them, that they will be in a better place, and I beg them not to hate me.

I tell them that I know I'm going to hell, but they will all be playing with all the dogs and cats in heaven.

After about 30 minutes, I take each dog individually, into their feces filled concrete jail cell, and pet them and scratch them under their chins. Some give me their paw, and I just want to die. I just want to die. I close the jail cell on each dog, and ask them to forgive me. As my buddy and I are walking out, we watch as every dog is smiling at us and them don't even move their heads. They will sleep, with a full belly, and a false sense of security.

As we walk out of the doomed dog room, my buddy and I go to the cat room.

We take our box, and put the very friendly kittens and pregnant cats in our box.
The shelter doesn't keep tabs on the cats, like they do the dogs.

As I hand pick which cats are going to make it out, I feel like I'm playing God, deciding whose going to live and die.

We take the cats into my truck, and put them on blankets in the back.

Usually, as soon as we start to drive away, there are purring cats sitting on our necks or rubbing against us.

My buddy and I take our one way two hour trip to a county that is very wealthy and they use injection to kill animals.

We go to exclusive neighborhoods, and let one or two cats out at a time.

They don't want to run, they want to stay with us. We shoo them away, which makes me feel sad.

I tell them that these rich people will adopt them, and if worse comes to worse and they do get put down, they will be put down with a painless needle being cradled by a loving veterinarian. After the last cat is free, we drive back to our town.

It's about 5 in the morning now, about two hours until I have to gas my best friends.

I go home, take a shower, take my 4 anti-anxiety pills and drive to work.. I don't eat, I can't eat. It's now time, to put these animals in the gas chamber. I put my ear plugs in, and when I go to the collect the dogs, the dogs are so excited to see me, that they jump up to kiss me and think they are going to play.

I put them in the rolling cage and take them to the gas chamber. They know. They just know. They can smell the death.. They can smell the fear. They start whimpering, the second I put them in the box. The boss tells me to squeeze in as many as I can to save on gas. He watches. He knows I hate him, he knows I hate my job. I do as I'm told. He watches until all the dogs, and cats (thrown in together) are fighting and screaming. The sounds is very muffled to me because of my ear plugs. He walks out, I turn the gas on, and walk out.

I walk out as fast as I can. I walk into the bathroom, and I take a pin and draw blood from my hand. Why? The pain and blood takes my brain off of what I just did.
In 40 minutes, I have to go back and unload the dead animals. I pray that none survived, which happens when I overstuff the chamber. I pull them out with thick gloves, and the smell of carbon monoxide makes me sick. So does the vomit and blood, and all the bowel movements. I pull them out, put them in plastic bags.

They are in heaven now, I tell myself. I then start cleaning up the mess, the mess, that YOU PEOPLE are creating by not spay or neutering your animals. The mess that YOU PEOPLE are creating by not demanding that a vet come in and do this humanely. You ARE THE TAXPAYERS, DEMAND that this practice STOP!

So, don't call me the monster, the devil, the gasser, call the politicians, the shelter directors, and the county people the devil. Heck, call the governor, tell him to make it stop.

As usual, I will take sleeping pills tonight to drown out the screams I heard in the past, before I discovered the ear plugs. I will jump and twitch in my sleep, and I believe I'm starting to hallucinate.

This is my life. Don't judge me. Believe me, I judge myself enough.


I don't agree with everything that was written in the previous craigslist posting, especially the part about blaming the public for the infernal workings of a shelter, because sometimes the buck does indeed stop with the shelter management. However, the post does give a realistic emotional impression of what it's like to have a job that involves killing cats and dogs - at least that's what the shelter staff I know tell me.

This next one is a recent e-mail from Nicole Joncas who runs Teja's Animal Refuge. Nicole is currently suing the Quebec government for not upholding its own animal cruelty laws.

We know that puppy mills is a whole big issue. The breeding dogs live a hell from birth to death. We know that puppy mills sell their pups to pet stores.

What becomes of the puppies or kittens that don't sell and they get too big for their cages. They are brought out the back door where they meet their death by ax, mallet, bucket, or whatever instrument of death is handy.


We know that consumers buy the pups, and living in the buy and trash society that we do, what becomes of the pup who didn't turn out to be the perfect porcelaine dog that they wanted.
 
These dogs are either brought to the vet's to be euthanized. Others are brought to the SPCA, the Humane Society or to the dog pound.


It's a know fact, that pure bred intact pound dogs are sold to puppy mills. Others are sold to laboratories, and the rest are sent into the gas chamber to gasp to death.
 
From the puppy mill, to the pet store, to the dog pound, money is the common denominator, and pain and suffering is a given.


The dog pound where I'm getting dogs out, has a major problem of location. A Montreal rescue has gotten 20 dogs out. Most of them have kennel cough, and other health issues. It is north east of Montreal. Many rescues from the Toronto area have offered to take these dogs.

Getting them there is a major problem.
 
Ideally we need a holding place to put the pound dogs closer to the 20 or the 401 to give the Toronto rescues an easier way to get them.


This dog pound has a contract with a breeder who brings his dogs that are no longer useful to him to be gassed. Two nights ago we took an 8 month old Great Dane pup that had been brought to be gassed because he was too fearful. What did they do to him in his short life of 8 months to have to put him to death. Luckily a rescue in Montreal took him, and they're working with him.


I'm asking everyone to please work together to help us find a solution to facilitate moving these pitiful creatures.
 
I am also looking into who has the mandate to oversee dog pounds. I'm afraid that it's most likely Anima Quebec?
 
Some of you have received pictures of their incarceration. Not a pretty sight. Please help us find a solution.
 
I'm hoping that the new committee that the Ministry of Agriculture has formed will take into account the tragic situation of pound dogs.
 
If there's a solution, please let me know.

Please cross post.

Yours in rescue, Nicole Joncas


And finally, from Nathan Winograd's blog, this post, Did Wilkes County Dogs Get Gassed?

With the uproar over the Wilkes County massacre focusing on the systematic and needless killing of the 145 dogs and puppies, and the Humane Society of the United State’s shameless defense of it, there hasn’t been a lot of commentary on the cruel way the dogs probably died. Did the Wilkes County dogs get gassed? Except for the really young puppies, according to testimony at a County Commission meeting, the answer is probably, yes.

The Wilkes County NC shelter which was the sight of the massacre is back in the news—defending the carbon monoxide gas chamber to kill animals, even as employees there have admitted that when they use carbon monoxide, it isn’t “a pretty sight, with animals scratching and trying to get out.”

Despite testimony from a veterinarian that animals put in gas chambers “endure more trauma and pain than necessary to end their lives,” the Director of the Wilkes County shelter not only defended the use of gas, but he defended shooting animals, and claimed (erroneously) that it takes upwards of five minutes after lethal injection for animals to stop breathing.
.
.
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A “relatively painless” death can only occur in an environment where sensitivity, compassion, and skill, combine with efforts to minimize distress and anxiety. By contrast, gas systems take time to kill—during which animals experience distress and anxiety, and can struggle to survive. They can result in animals surviving the gassing, only to suffer even more. They are designed for the ease of shelter workers, not care and compassion for the animals.


You can read the rest of it here.

I feel I have to apologize for this post. I hate writing about euthanasia. I hope I didn't wreck your sleep tonight.

Update on Luna here.

29 comments:

House of the Discarded said...

I wish there had been a warning before I got too far reading this post. I should've stopped, but I couldn't. It's like watching a traffic a accident.

I hate that I felt the need to read that.

Megan said...

This post has me crying and I stopped reading part way through...
The sweet dog currently sleeping by my feet was scheduled to be gassed in an Ohio pound 3 weeks ago. It is only through the work of caring humans that she didn't die that horrible death... the shelter workers who kept her alive while plans were made to get her out... the many many people who drove her and 12 other dogs from Ohio to Ontario... the rescue volunteers who screened my application...
I want to believe there are enough good people out there that we can stop all dogs from being gassed...

Miz Minka said...

This was one of the most awful things I've read. Thank you for posting this and for opening our eyes to the ugly realities!

I've sent a link to this post to my blogging friends in Ohio; I hope they'll spread the word and contact their legislators too.

I wish there was more I could do. I'm going to say a prayer for that NC pound employee tonight -- because it's Thursday.

God, this SUCKS.

Anonymous said...

In Mexico they still electrecute dogs in pounds......talk about sick!

Susan

the dog overpopulation problem in Mexico is horrible to say the least

Anonymous said...

bad enough that this is happening in the states but Quebec????? come on that province is so far behind the rest of the country when it comes to animal rights I'm actually embarassed for them. And disgusted to say the least! makes me angry beyond words!!

Susan

FrogDogz said...

I'm going to be devil's advocate here, Fred, and say that while this piece is touching, it's also outmoded.

Yes, it's horrid that the shelter worker has to gas his animals. But you know what? That's the SHELTER'S fault, not the general public.

People not s/n their animals doesn't excuse 'feces filled runs' or animals that, while in AC care, are 'starving'. Nor does it excuse such a stupid, brutal, outmoded method of euthanasia.

That rationale - that the public is at fault for every shitty thing that bad shelters do, has let them off the hook for too long.

That's why I think Nathan Winograd and the No Kill movement are a godsend, because they refuse to let bad shelters cover up their deeds with self excusing BS.

That said, yes it all still sucks, and thank God you guys take them in. Poor little guys.

Fred said...

beauty obscure, you're the hero here for taking in a rescue dog from Ohio. You have literally saved it from a terrible death, so thank you.

FrogDogz, I agree with you. I don't agree with everything that was written in the shelter employee's craigslist post about holding the public accountable for gas chamber deaths, nor do I agree with his/her opinion on compulsory spay/neuter but the post did give an insider's viewpoint and I didn't want to edit the original. Actually, I'm going to add this bit to the post for clarification.

S/he did make one good point, though, with respect to the public and that's that the people in those jurisdictions where gas chambers are still used, need to voice their outrage, if indeed they are outraged.

And maybe we can help them.

Megan said...

Thanks Fred... She is an amazing girl... and I think she is happy to be here too :)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3575/3343373642_d602b305e2_b.jpg

Fred said...

beauty obscure, great pic. Looks like she's got on her happy bat smiley face.

Anonymous said...

Aw Fred, Friday the 13th is bad enough before coming across this but thanks for writing it.

If I had a bigger place, I'd take that little GSD in a heartbeat (then TAS could sell me a tag).

He reminds me so much of my little guy who was kicked out of a Nebraska puppy mill for having undescended testicles. Fortunately, he ended up in rescue and took the Underground Railroad to Canada.

http://www.ragsandbones.ca/kyoto/images/yard051014.jpg

Anonymous said...

Wow. Like one of the other commenters, I started reading this post and really wanted to stop before halfway, but couldn't. I am actively involved with a rescue group and am all to aware of the realities of shelters, but it doesn't make it any easier reading these stories.

I live in a state where gas chambers still exist in multiple counties. We had 2 anti-gassing bills proposed this year and both got killed very early on. Its disheartening. It gets proposed every year and every year it gets shot down by the ignorant senators and representatives in our state. The President of the Humane (yes, "Humane") Association of Georgia (HAGA) testified against the bill at last year's hearing. Its just disgusting.

Fred said...

redstarcafe, beautiful dog. Looks like a GSD/Husky cross? It would be interesting, though impossible because these records aren't compiled at the border, to see how many shelter dogs from the US end up in Canada.

Amy, that's really unfortunate but at least there are good people there fighting for a better way. Do you know why the HAGA supported gas chamber killings? I mean, the reasons are obvious and all bad, but did he say anything to try to justify expediency over humane treatment?

Anonymous said...

I do not know all of Carolyn Danese's (HAGA)reasons. I do know one of her reasons last year was fear of the State of GA running out of lethal injection solution, as she claims it did in 1999. She is also known for having a close relationship with Tommy Irvine, the Agriculture Commissioner, who chooses to keep his head buried in the sand to put it mildly. He and his entire staff at the Dept of Agriculture are opposed to banning gas chambers, most likely because they don't want to have to do any extra work. He is arrogant and lazy and certainly wouldn't want to implement any legislation that might create extra work for him.

onequarterdal said...

Dear Fred,

I've done quite a few volunteer transport trips of both Canadian pound dogs needing out asap, and the ones from Ohio. Its mind boggling to see the wonderful dogs who were within days of a horrific death. Mind boggling. My husband has joined me on a few trips, and he's blown away with it too. I've been known to get emotional just looking at them. The GSD pup, is stunning...The insanity has got to stop in Ontario, Quebec and the U.S.

Anonymous said...

The little guy is a black and tan shiba inu. I hope you never get any at TAS but more and more are showing up in rescue, obviously not all from reputable breeders who would take them back.

http://ragsandbones.ca/kyoto/images/kk04060614.jpg

The woman who did the home visit for the rescue lives in Hamilton and has four American rescue doxies. We know that other dogs from the rescue have been rehomed in Canada.

I want to know the circumstances of his rescue and yet I don't. It's like a highway accident. It's distressing to know that puppy mills and gassing are so prevalent this side of the border too.

spotted dog farm said...

The only "defenses" I've heard for gas chambers is ease and efficiency for shelter workers, particularly when it comes to what they label "vicious" dogs. Unfortunately, even though shelter workers ought to be trained to handle dogs at all stages of fear, anxiety and aggression, often they are just people off the street who learn, or don't, how to handle dogs. Even if you have one or two people who are expert at handling stressed dogs during euth IV, they aren't always there. It's difficult to find, train or retain qualified people who will do an awful job for low pay and do it well, but torture through gas is surely not the answer. Oh, I've also heard the excuse that shelter managers don't want to "waste" telesol or other sedatives pre-IV on "those" dogs.

It's absolutely sickening, the height of hypocrisy, and it makes my head hurt and spin so much that all I can think to say is What The Fuck. Thanks for putting it all so much better than that.

onno david said...

Just found your blog today it's wonderful. I just reading this blog nice very nice. This is a great and intrinsic. I love GSD pup dog so quite. This was one of the most awful things I've read. Thank you for posting this and for opening our eyes to the ugly realities.

Dee said...

I came across your post by accident , I am extremley sensitive to these kind of things and my heart just aches so badly when reading anything like this but I couldn't stop I once was sent a video of spalding pound in the US gassing their dogs and it will haunt me for the rest of my life their cries and whimpering killed me inside I thought my heart would burst I never realised this kind if thing went on or was legal until I read that I was so shocked I will never know why thre world things this is an acceptable thing to do , I have 2 dogs and one cat and could never in a million years imagine not wanting them or them ending up in a pound I would kill myself before that would ever happen , and as far as I am aware we dont have any gas chamber pounds here in the UK , I just don't understand why this kind of euthanising has to happen in this day and age , I would go the pounds and save every animal if I could to prevent this from happening it is just heart breaking and horrible , I can't imagine the terror and pain those animals go through it doesn't bear thinking about what a cruel world we live in :(

Addie said...

Thank you for this post. I have to admit to having teared up, and skimmed the last few paragraphs to avoid any more pain. My dog Dingo is one of the lucky ones. He was brought from a kill shelter in Ohio to toronto by TAS staff or volunteers (I was never clear which). He was adopted out once, but returned after 2 weeks. He will be mine forever. I love him more than anything. To know how close he came to that fate...

Thank you so much for your work at TAS South. You make a difference. If photography style is anything to go by, it was probably your pic of Dingo (then called Mason) that first caught my eye 3 years ago and brought me into the shelter just to say hi.

Fred said...

Addie, hey I think I remember Mason. He was one of the first dogs I photographed. It's great to hear he's doing well and I'm glad the picture brought you in to TAS.

Addie said...

Fred.
I still have that picture some place. I can remember thinking I had never seen a shelter dog's photo hold so much of the dogs personality; it is usually all furry lumps cowering in cage corners. Your attractive photography makes their personalities and beauty shine through and makes a person like me more likely to come in and say hello. Thanks.

Dingo is doing great. Meant to get a second TAS dog this summer, but a deaf cattle dog puppy in rescue found me first. Now I am trying to convince my mum that TAS is a better option than petstores, breeders or THS when she gets her new dog. Gonna point her toward your blog for sure.

Fred said...

I'll dig through the files and see if I have any more of Mason. If I do, I'll let you know here and I can send them to you if you want.

Anonymous said...

Nevermind that they still do this in Quebec, Mississauga Animal Control Services still follows this procedure.

Fred said...

Anonymous, I don't have too much good to say about Mississauga Animal Services mostly over what they do to Pit Bulls but I've never heard anything about them using gas chambers. Can you back up your claim?

Anonymous said...

A few words about asphyxiation:

Carbon Monoxide gassing is not technically asphyxiation. It is poisioning. It binds to hemoglobin, and prevents further uptake of oxygen. It is not a humane death.

Death by asphyxiation can be painful, like waterboarding, or painless (loss of consciousness, followed by slower brain death). Buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood causes the "air hunger" that makes waterboard such an effect means of torture.

However, if you are allowed to freely breath a gas that contains no oxygen and no carbon dioxide, soon your blood levels of CO2 will fall to approximately zero, you will get a little dizzy, and then pass out. No "air hunger". Brain damage begins immediately.

Paradoxically, the fact that any dogs are surviving gas chambers is a sign that the dogs are not being humanely treated. A loving facility would ensure that a death was painless and swift.

Fred said...

Hi Anonymous, here's (part of) the Wiki def of asphyxia:

A common form of asphyxiation is from entering a low oxygen atmosphere or an inert atmosphere ...

The body creates the need to breath from the excess carbon dioxide in the lungs; and yet the body has no way to detect the absence of oxygen. Many gases, though non-toxic, are classified as simple asphyxiants in their pure form or in high concentrations for this very reason.


It also lists carbon monoxide as one of these asphyxiants.

Unknown said...

As a shelter volunteer...it kills me to see the dogs in the system with out type "euthanasia." It's a helpless feeling... I try to comfort myself with the knowledge that we're a selective kill shelter - there's no expiration date on dogs and cats. We house and feed them as best as we can for as long as they're healthy and well behaved. But if they're too sick, or too aggressive - because someone taught them to be that way - it's supposed to be the nicer thing to do to put them down quickly than to let them waste away in their kennels. At least here in Arizona, I'd like to think it's a quick and mostly painless death.

But this doesn't have to happen. I don't know of any other business that would love to run out of inventory and close its doors. We don't want to have to take in the abused, neglected, forgotten dogs and cats. We wish every animal had a loving home, where his personality could flourish and he could be a happy, healthy animal. Not enough of these homes exist, and puppies are still bred like a factory product. When did we forget... that they are animals, that think and feel and love and trust, just like us? That they will do anything that we, our self-appointed caretakers, will ask of them? That the mean dogs, the scared dogs, the starving dogs are entirely the fault of careless, negligent or cruel owners? And when will we demand something better?

C.A. said...

Just found your blog, and want to say a PERSONAL thank you for your work as well as your incredible writing on behalf of those helpless animals who cannot speak for themselves. This particular post brought on tears for me, but I think it is one of the most important information I've read - it actually show the real honesty of what happens to our homeless, overpopulated animals. Thank you again for all you do - your writing is powerful and have given me inspiration to do something similar.

Anonymous said...

Dear Fred,

I found your blog while looking into a tweet from a friend saying that Quebec has confirmed it will carry on gassing dogs for another 5 years. I wouldn't retweet it until I had checked it was true as I couldn't believe anyone would do such a thing.

You have indeed spoiled by my sleep but I thank you for doing so. I read the words of the poor employee forced to carry out this procedure and I cried. It's 5am and I still have tears in my eyes.

Sitting in my comfortable room, pay securely in my bank account, it would be very easy to condemn the person pressing the button but I can't. He became an Animal Control Officer because of his love of animals and instead he feels he deserves to be in hell. If I had the choice between that and not being able to to have food and health care for my family and I didn't walk away, I would want to die too.

I am unable describe how imagining doing this to animals feels inside me. Every instinct would tell me to pull them out and save them. It is so wrong that I have no words for how wrong. It must end, for the animals and for the people that have to medicate themselves to sleep at night because of what they did.

We can all do something to help: Don't take on a pet unless you understand what it will need and you can provide for it. Spay / neuter your pet - Don't let them have offspring you can't home. Take in a rescue animal (as I'm proud to say a member of my family has done). You can also spread the word.

If you live in one of these places, give your politicians a hard time. Tell them this is important to you and you won't put a mark next to their name again unless they fix it. Being shocked is no good unless you send that email or write that letter.

Unfortunately, I can't vote on a ballot in either NC or Quebec but I will vote the only way I can:

I promise that, until I read this cruelty has been ended, I will not take my family on holiday to NC or Quebec. I will look at things I am going to buy for a second to see where they're from and I promise I will not patronize any business in either of these places or knowingly purchase any item made in them. I will also do everything in my power to prevent these goods or services being used on any project I manage for my corporate customers. I refuse to allow any money I control to pay the taxes that fund this.

It is often said that the British love animals more than they love people. I hope someone will start a campaign in Europe to publicize this cruelty. I think many would join me in my economic protest and that it just might make a difference. We need to make this hurt until somebody in power does the right thing.

I know I haven't read everything properly; I couldn't. I am sorry I have preached and vented. I know this is an old thread but this has been reaffirmed and I want to make a difference. I want to make this feeling go away.

Thank you for reading and good luck. Thank you for all the ones you have saved,
Paul.