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Home / Articles / Editorial / Letters / Switching to injections for shelter dogs will end up costing more money
Sunday, January 22,2012
Switching to injections for shelter dogs will end up costing more money
To the Editor:
In response to "Community Corner with Big Jim" and Athens County Animal Advocates, I, along with many other people, care about the animals at the Athens County Dog Shelter. However, I can't expect the county of Athens to pay for these dogs to be put down.
Some of the arguments that I have heard are ridiculous. Some argue that it's cheaper to euthanize by injection (EBI), but that's not true. EBI might be cheaper than gas; however, that's before you have to pay the gas money to take the dogs to a vet, pay the vet to administer the drugs, pay the gas money to get back to the dog shelter, and then pay the employee for their time.
Now, why don't we have a vet on site at the dog shelter? Again, it's a money issue. Veterinarians make anywhere from $75,000 to $80,000 a year. Where are we going to get the money for that? Should we take it from road repair? What about HUD/Section 8 housing? I'll tell you what, lets take it from the Athens County schools. Our kids don't need that education anyway.
Vets should not have to volunteer their time either. Would you go to work and tell your boss you're working for free today? I don't think so! All these dogs at the shelter are there because people breed, abandon them, or can't afford to take care of them. Why should I or anyone else pay for other people's mistakes and ignorance? I think Athens County is doing the best job possible with the limited funds that they have available to them.
Matthew Curry
James Lane
The Plains
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Mr. Curry,
You make some excellent views on this passionate issue concerning the Athens County Animal Advocates and EBI vs gassing at the Athens County Dog Shelter. This is a issue that will not go away untill positive results are made. I feel I gave everyone a fair view on my TV Show "Community Corner with Big Jim" so we all can see how this issue has no easy way of being solved. This show will be rerun again all this week and a follow up show is in the making. I would like to say two things. First, a no kill shelter would be fantastic here in Athens County, but again as you say, where do we get the funding for that. Good question for Athens County residents to think about. Second, I think that if the Athens County Animal Advocates could hold a fundraiser event to buy the pill to put the dog to sleep as performing in the EBI, then the dog would be asleep durring the gassing procedure and no inhumane actions would take place. Come on Athens, let's stop the maddness and put this issue to a peacefull closer.
"Big" Jim Balcom Sr.
In most shelters the EBI procedure is preformed by shelter staff. There is a provision in the Ohio Revised Code that allows for shelter staff to be trained & then certified by the state of Ohio as a Certified Euthanasia Technician.
C. DeCarlo
Crystal, If the staff could do the EBI procedure then great we found a cost effective way. however, the athens county animal advocates spacificaly said on community corner with "big" jim they wanted a licensed vet to preform the procedure. to watch the show go to www.ccwithbigjim.tk and click "t.v. shows" on left then click season 6.
Matthew C.
In previous articles relating to the EBI issue at the Athens Dog Shelter, it has been stated that the staff is certified as an EBI Techinician, or in the process of doing so. It is absolutely not cost effective to have a liscensed veterinarian preform euthanasia in a shelter enviroment.
I previously worked at the largest humane society in NE Ohio, we had several liscensed vets on staff but very rarely, if ever did they euthanize. All the employees of the shelter were required to be certfied as an EBI Tech and the euthanasia responsibility was rotated among the staff. We also had community volunteers assist with the EBI process while they cannot by law preform the actual euth, they can help with restraint(after having animal handling training).
Pet overpopulation is a community problem & it's going to take a community to solve it.
i'm glad we see eye to eye on this issue. my concern is not with the gassing vs. EBI. My issue is the money it will take if a licensed vet was required to preform the procedure.