Action Alert - Spalding County to Stop Gassing Pets

Having failed for the 2nd year in a row to get statewide legislation passed to shut down Georgia's 15+ remaining gas chambers, Georgia animal advocates can celebrate what will be the 3rd voluntary gas chamber closing this year when Spalding County will switch to lethal injection as it has resolved to do July 1st.

Macon demolished its chamber mid-April, and its neighbor, Warner Robins, followed-suit shortly thereafter.

Spalding County Mananger, William Wilson, says the county is switching to lethal injection because it is cheaper than gas.

Please write to Mr. Wilson to thank him for his decision to stop the use of gas and switch to the more humane injection method of euthanasia. Mr. Wilson's email address is: wwilson@spaldingcounty.com

Though it's difficult, if not impossible, to obtain an accurate list of the gas chambers in Georgia, this is the list of (12) that we believe are still being being used as primary or exclusive method of euthanasia:

• Ashburn, GA
• Barnesville, GA
• Butts County
• Cobb County
• Cordele, GA
• Cuthbert, GA
• Haralson County
• Hawkinsville, GA
• Henry County
• Lakeland, GA
• Mitchell County
• Vienna, GA

If you live in one of these counties or cities, please write to your elected officials to request they switch to "EBI" (euthanasia by injection) immediately. Tell them that Spalding County is switching to lethal injection to save its tax-payers money. If the financial incentive, combined with the obvious (gassing is a form of torture), is not enough, please inform them of this fact:

If your county cannot produce the letter it was required to submit to the GA Department of Agriculture, prior to July 1, 1990, asking to be "grandfathered-in" to continue gassing under the 1990 Humane Euthanasia Act, then your county or city has been gassing illegally for 20 years.


Moreover, if you live in Cobb County, your gas chamber was allegedly installed illegally in 1996, six years after gas chambers were effectively outlawed in GA and no new chambers were to be installed in counties or cities with populations greater than 25,000. And the GA Department of Agriculture was held in Contempt of Court in 2007 for allowing your gas chamber to be installed and used, and the GA Department of Agriculture ordered it shut down. Yet has since renewed your shelter's license despite the fact your shelter is still gassing. Note: Cobb County Police Captain Jeff Patellis testified to the GA General Assembly's Committee on Agriculture, in March of this year, that Cobb County is gassing and prefers gas to lethal injection, though it uses both forms of euthanasia.

Please email Captain Patellis and/or Cobb County's Mickey Lloyd to request they stop ALL gassing immediately. Their email addresses are: jeff.patellis@cobbcounty.org mickeygary.lloyd@cobbcounty.org