Letter writer wrong about injections being more expensive than gassing

To the Editor:

In response to Mr. Curry's letter in last Monday's issue:

You are wrong. Let me tell you why.

Athens County Advocates Association (ACAA) is currently conducting cost-analysis studies on counties with similar populations and county shelter budgets to Athens. Past research from American Humane describes EBI (euthanasia injections) as much cheaper than gassing. Never mind any extra costs for gas money; the wardens already transport dogs to the vet, whether for treatment if sick and injured, or for EBI if they legally cannot be gassed. The employees are paid the same money whether they are transporting dogs, doing paperwork or talking to potential adoptive families.

You also spoke at length about wasting money. Let's discuss the money our county has wasted by training our wardens to perform EBI, and then never performing injections at the shelter. Let's question why a crematorium costing $60,000 was installed in our shelter between 1968-1998 yet has never been used. Let's ask why a surveillance system was also installed in the shelter and is not utilized. Let's ponder the fact that dogs over 1 year old are adopted out at our shelter for a flat fee of $65, not including any spay and neuter, vaccines or dewormer. If modeled after other counties' effective programs, our county could gain money through fines for unaltered animals. Our county has not been doing the best job it can at effectively using resources, monetary or otherwise, to our advantage.

If EBI cost more than gas, 75 counties in Ohio would not be using it as their sole method of shelter animal euthanasia. It is quite feasible for our county commissioners to model a euthanasia program after any number of other successful counties. This will not require pulling funds from any other area of county business. Your statements follow "slippery slope" logic, and your argument that "if we quit gassing, our kids won't get education" simply doesn't hold up.

Change requires work, there is no doubt, but this is what we elect officials for — to work on behalf of the people and their concerns. ACAA is also very willing to help in the transition away from gassing.

Finally, I take offense that you would let these dogs, these "mistakes," who by no action of their own have wound up abandoned in a shelter, die in terror and pain. As a citizen of this county, as a human being, you DO have a responsibility to care for them. It is called compassion. These dogs have no one to fight for them but concerned citizens, and I can assure you there are plenty of them fighting for an end to gassing. I promise you that EBI is the best way to humanely euthanize our shelter dogs. And ACAA will not stop fighting until this is achieved.

Think about it — what would you want for your dog?

Sarah Robles, ACAA
The Plains