The following is the complete text of the 1998 evaluation of the Center for Animal Care and Control by the Humane Society of the United States [Part 6].
For example, policies should require that all animals be separated in the following manner:
Note: There has been an antiquated section in the New York City Health
Code that prohibits two or more animals of three months of age or older
being in the same cage. For some time, this has forced the CACC to separate
litter-mates and house-mates from each other, which can: a) be extremely
sad and stressful for these animals; and b) contribute even more to overcrowding
at the shelters. HSUS staff recently learned from CACC that this requirement
has been rescinded and that CACC staff are very pleased to now be able to
utilize the option of housing litters together.
Behavioral Status
There are currently no established provisions or protocols for routine socialization
at CACC facilities, even for long term holding animals. In addition, there
are no adequate facilities (aside from at Manhattan) for the exercise of
impounded animals, although the Staten Island Shelter is making some headway.
But some dogs live in 3'x4' cages for months at a time (during holding)
with limited exercise based on staff availability.
Recommendations: Animals in shelters not only need food,
water, and shelter, they also need companionship. Cats need socialization
and comforting, and dogs need handling and exercise. Dogs need handling,
exercise, toys and ways to remind them why it's simply "fun to be a
dog." Thought should go into the development of a "stress reduction"
program utilizing specially trained staff (and volunteers, if possible),
and into exploring the possibility for exercise pens at all facilities,
perhaps even on the roof if necessary.
In the case of dangerous dogs, every agency involved needs to be cognizant
of the increase in aggression that often occurs with strict, long-term confinement.
This includes the public, the City administration, the NYPD, DoH, ASPCA
and the criminal justice system. If the CACC is forced to hold animals for
extended periods of time, adequate resources for exercise and contact need
to be funded and made available.
General Shelter Medicine
Overseeing the shelter medicine staff and related policies and procedures
for the five facilities is one full-time Chief Veterinarian. Under the Chief
Veterinarian, there are two full-time veterinarians and a number of part-time
(per diem) veterinarians, for a total of 132 veterinarian hours per week.
There are nine full or part-time licensed and unlicensed veterinary technicians
(Animal Care Specialists) working a total of 333 technician hours per week.
Shelter animals may be seen by the veterinarian(s) or technician(s) more than once: a) at intake exams, when medical treatments are given; b) for follow-up evaluations; and c) at the time of euthanasia, if that is the animal's ultimate fate. In general, the preventive medicine program is very good, especially given the crowded and antiquated facilities in which the shelters are housed.
There are a limited amount of basic drugs and supplies available in the
examination and treatment areas of the Manhattan and Brooklyn shelters,
but these facilities are not equipped adequately to allow veterinary staff
to respond to major trauma cases. There is very little in the way of resuscitation
equipment in the treatment rooms: oxygen, endo-tracheal tubes, intravenous
equipment, anesthesia machine or surgery equipment. The type and quality
of supplies we saw (antibiotics, etc.) were adequate, but there seems to
be limited time to actually use them.
The Chief Veterinarian reported that medical care funding is mainly made
available for preventive care (intake exams, vaccination and deworming,
feline leukemia testing), basic medical treatment of licensed stray dogs
and animals with owner identification, animals on DoH hold, and animals
otherwise in custody. The HSUS E-Team members were told by veterinary staff
that there is currently no specific budget for the medical and surgical
treatment of sick and injured stray animals and wildlife, other than for
animals with possible owners, such as those wearing a license or owner identification.
Resources that are used for treating sick or injured strays are on an "as
available" basis, using funds left over from supplying and equipping
the preventive health program. Stray animals with minor illnesses and injuries
are treated with antibiotics, subcutaneous fluids, etc., when appropriate.
When stray animals who are sick or injured enter the shelter during business
hours, a veterinarian is paged or the animal is placed on a veterinarian
checklist, depending on the severity of the condition. Stray animals who
are thought to be owned are treated to the best of the ability of the veterinary
technicians and veterinarians on duty. In just the few days that HSUS E-Team
members visited the Manhattan and Brooklyn shelters, we saw many severely
ill, injured and/or dying animals enter the intake and treatment rooms.
There are adequate guidelines for after-hours routine care- isolation of sick animals, treatment of immobilized NYPD animals, treatment of upper respiratory and skin infections with antibiotics, cleaning of wounds, etc.
A veterinarian is always on-call after hours for CACC shelters. Sick or injured animals presented after hours are examined by a licensed veterinary technician, whom attempts to determine whether the animal a) needs immediate veterinary care (in which case the veterinarian on call is paged); or b) is stable and can wait until the morning to be seen by a veterinarian. Written protocols are in place, and staff are trained to err on the side of caution. In addition, technicians are required to fill out forms to insure that CACC policy is followed in the decision-making process.
In the case of serious emergencies, protocols are in place to provide assistance. A seriously injured companion animal who is presumed to be owned (such as with a license or other identification) is immediately transferred to the Animal Medical Center or another 24-hour Emergency Hospital for treatment or euthanasia.
In emergency situations where an animal is suffering and there does not appear to be an owner, humane euthanasia services are available at CACC facilities under the advice of the consulting veterinarian following lost-and-found checks to search for a possible owner. To ensure that strict policy is followed for emergency euthanasia of stray animals, examination forms are used to document the condition of the animal and the reasons for euthanasia. Two signatures are required for emergency euthanasia due to humane reasons.
In addition, protocol includes an examination of the euthanized animal by a CACC veterinarian the following morning to verify the findings of the technician and to further document the animal's condition and rationale for euthanasia. The bodies of these animals are held separately from others for the "stray period" so that they can be identified by owners if the owners wish to look through the dead animals for their lost pet.
Recommendations: One of the important functions of a municipal animal care and control agency is to be a safety net for the emergency care of owned and potentially owned injured animals that have inadvertently been hit by cars, fallen from window ledges, been attacked by another animal, etc.
Given that only a small percentage of healthy animals are ever returned to their original owners (nationally only 14% of dogs, and 4% of cats), the euthanasia of suffering animals is generally appropriate in most cases. Staff must evaluate each case carefully, and consider that each animal may have a potential owner out searching, eventually arriving at the shelter seeking to claim him or her. Strict protocols should be carefully followed and all staff must make decisions accordingly.
The CACC has the staff and the written protocols in place for handling
some emergencies but it does not appear to be equipped for it with all necessary
resources. For example, the treatment rooms should be outfitted with basic
life support equipment, if not with anesthetic machines and surgical supplies.
It would be nice to see CACC facilities acquire the resources, equipment
and supplies to be able to treat any injured stray or relinquished animals
(or wildlife) and not just primarily animals who appear to be owned. Clearly,
CACC takes in more animals than it could ever treat, but the availability
of this option might help morale if the staff could see some of CACC's injured
animals leaving to get adopted or perhaps going to another location for
definitive medical care and rehabilitation. Protocols would need to be established,
however, to evaluate the merit of treatment options for these animals.
Staffing and Training for Animal Care Specialists
The CACC is lucky to be able to have licensed and license-eligible veterinary
technicians on staff. Many shelters do not or cannot. This gives the CACC
an advantage in training and significant leeway when it comes to having
technicians make judgment calls about the medical condition of the animals.
There are comprehensive written materials available for the Animal Care Specialists (Veterinary Technicians) including an Animal Care Specialist Manual containing sections on such things as disease recognition and management, treatment protocols, examination and vaccination protocols, and laboratory protocols as well as current memos from the veterinarians and supplements to department policy.
HSUS E-Team members did not witness any "hands-on" training of Animal Care Specialist staff, and the impression is that the veterinarians are perhaps too busy doing their own jobs to spend much time training and overseeing the activities of the technicians. Some of these staff are currently performing jobs that are not specifically medical, however, in addition to their veterinary duties. The Chief Veterinarian, for instance, currently oversees many operational duties, performs administrative tasks, responds to telephone inquiries, and loses time having to drive from one shelter to the other.
Recommendations: The veterinary and treatment staff are
highly-qualified and well trained. Written materials and protocols are adequate
and thorough. Current job descriptions and responsibilities should be revisited
to make the best use of veterinary expertise, and allow for an adequate
number of staff at all times to address animal needs, such as examinations.
Emphasis should be place on regular "hands-on" training and review
by the veterinary staff. Special attention should be paid to protocols determining
the scope of a technician's required to make initial medical decisions and
judgement calls. But because of the nature of triage work, training sessions
always seem to get postponed or canceled. While it is understandable that
virtually everything takes a low priority when faced with a severely injured
animal, adequate time for training should be formally scheduled, even if
it means paying staff to come in early or stay late. General staff training,
such as with improved cage cleaning and disinfection, can and should be
done by operations staff to increase morale and encourage participation
in investing in the large scheme.
NYPD Chemical Immobilization and Transportation of Dangerous Animals
A special unit of the New York Police Department (NYPD) currently handles
the removal of animals from crime scenes or animals who are potentially
dangerous and considered a public threat. Currently, animals are chemically
immobilized with Ketamine (a dissociative anesthetic) injected with the
use of chemical capture equipment.
To further restrain animals during transport, these officers often tie the feet and/or mouths of animals with either wire, binder twine, a muzzle, or duct tape. In addition, these units do not have animal transportation vehicles, and as a result, animals are currently transported to CACC shelters in the trunk of a NYPD cruiser. This procedure occurs throughout the year, regardless of the ambient temperature.
Unfortunately, somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 animals per year come
into the CACC shelters this way. Experienced CACC staff are of the opinion
that the vast majority of these animals do not need to be immobilized, and
could be easily handled by persons with expertise in animal handling and
the proper capture equipment (such as nets, gloves and control-poles). For
example, the staff told us of cases where a litter of five week old puppies
had all been chemically immobilized, and where a single cat had received
two doses.
In addition, adequate records are not kept by NYPD and there is no standardization
of the doses of Ketamine that are given. Veterinary reports provided to
the HSUS show that the CACC is forced to give many of these animals emergency
medical care for: a) Ketamine overdose; b) hypothermia or hyperthermia;
c) self-trauma incurred during the immobilization process; d) self-trauma
as a result of awaking in the trunk; or d) any combination of these conditions.
In fact, the CACC has had to create a formal policy that requires each immobilized
animal to be immediately examined as a priority when s/he enters the shelter.
Recommendations: The HSUS has serious concerns regarding the
humaneness of the current procedures and methods used by NYPD to immobilize
and transport dangerous dogs, and strongly urges the review and modification
of this system as soon as possible. CACC and NYPD management should be aware
that in some parts of the country, the current system of restraint and transportation
could perhaps be considered cruelty and a punishable offense.
In addition, the current procedure is a clear waste of NYPD time, money
and resources. Police officers are not trained to identify or handle dogs
and cats and wildlife at all, much less dangerous ones. Well trained, experienced
CACC personnel could easily remove dangerous animals from these difficult
situations. In many cases, with the use of animal handling skills, even
sedation would not be required. Note: these animals, once arriving at CACC
facilities, are housed and cared for by CACC staff on a routine basis with
no further use of immobilization techniques.
The use of CACC staff trained in animal handling is not only more appropriate
but more cost-effective, at a substantial savings to the City. Although
further CACC field staff positions would have to be developed in order to
meet this need, the cost would be minimal in comparison to current funding
and resources allocated. The NYPD's role could then be redirected to assist
primarily in serious emergency situations to: a) provide an immediate response
(when necessary); b) to assess the scene; c) contact the CACC; d) secure
the location to protect public safety; e) monitor the situation until CACC
staff arrive; and f) to provide assistance if necessary. When chemical capture
is necessary, animals could be immobilized and transported under controlled
conditions in CACC Animal Rescue Vehicles in a humane, responsible fashion.
WILDLIFE AND EXOTICS
Wildlife Care and Handling
The CACC is currently accepting wildlife because there is apparently no
one else in the City who can provide comprehensive assistance. In New York,
wildlife matters are generally the responsibility of the state Fish and
Game Department however this agency usually refuse to accept, house, or
care for individual animals and the public has nowhere else to turn. Occasionally,
state Fish and Game officials will provide euthanasia for injured wildlife,
but HSUS E-Team members were told it is generally difficult to reach someone
in authority at these offices. CACC, therefore, routinely rescues and/or
accepts these animals in lieu of allowing them to suffer or die of neglect.
The CACC is apparently working with an Inter-Agency Task Force (including but not limited to agencies such as the New York State Department of Fish and Game, CACC, ASPCA and the Animal Medical Center) to determine the needs of the City and county for wildlife care and control. In addition, this group will work together to determine the roles, resources, preventive measures and funding necessary to provide a solution to this problem. The results will be interesting and should be very constructive. For the time being however, CACC facilities and field staff spend a great deal of time reactively responding to wildlife issues.
Traps are rented to the public at the Staten Island shelter for use in
trapping raccoons and skunks, but there is currently no education of the
renter regarding humane trapping and handling techniques. Though some of
the field officers may be skilled at handling wildlife, we were not made
aware of any training of the staff at the shelters in how to handle urban
wildlife calls and did not see any written materials on the subject for
distribution to the public.
During the brief visit, HSUS E-Team members saw a large number of incoming
raccoons, a few opossums, and a few pigeons. Regardless of human or animal
exposure, The Department of Health currently requires that all raccoons
be euthanized for rabies testing at the New York State Health Laboratory.
Many wild mammals and birds are releasable if deemed healthy. However, there
are currently no staff trained and knowledgeable in wild animal behavior
and/or rehabilitation. In addition, we were not made aware of any organized
program for training of staff in wildlife handling, physical examination,
common diseases, triage, rehabilitation issues and sick/injured animal treatment.
There is a small wildlife/exotic ward at the Manhattan shelter but it does not contain a suitable variety of special caging, feeding equipment and supplies, or written care protocols for the many needs of various wild animals. We were told that the CACC primarily uses local organizations for the care and placement of certain species.
While staff appeared to be quite well-intended in their desire to assist
orphaned and injured animals, there were no special protocols for identifying
the species, selecting appropriate caging, giving fluids to correct dehydration,
or methods for selecting and feeding appropriate diets.
Recommendations: As people and animals move closer together,
the conflicts among them increase. And as state and federal wildlife agencies
lack a committed response acceptable to the public, animal care and control
agencies around the country are being called upon to fill that void.
A recent HSUS survey of 100 local animal care and control facilities found that over half work with orphaned, injured or "nuisance" wildlife more than 500 times each year. And while most animal shelters are already overburdened with dogs and cats, the public increasingly asks for--and even demands--that their local animal shelter "come to the rescue" of orphaned and injured wildlife.
Depending upon specific New York State laws (currently in exploration with State officials), the CACC may be able to temporarily handle wildlife without burdening themselves with licenses and record keeping requirements. If legally able to do so, wildlife impounded by the CACC should be given quality emergency care and then be transferred as promptly as possible to an outside agency.
Yet wild animals have special needs, and caring for wildlife is a specialty beyond the scope (or even mission) of most municipal animal shelters. In addition, while the rescue and temporary housing of wildlife are one thing, the field of long-term wildlife rehabilitation is simply another. As part of the Inter-Agency Task Force, CACC and others should identify well trained wildlife rehabilitation professionals for long-term care needs.
It would seem in the best interests of all if CACC maintains the role of good Samaritan, rather than to probe the arena of extensive licensing and permitting. Even to perform this limited function, the veterinarians and staff at the CACC must be adequately trained and equipped. For example, intake triage protocols, caging needs, treatment protocols and euthanasia techniques should be developed.
Local licensed rehabilitation professionals could assist with training
and mentor CACC staff. It would also benefit the CACC if the wildlife groups
with which it develops a relationship could be responsible for coming to
the CACC facilities to pick up wild animals. The people picking up the birds
and other wildlife should be trained volunteers or staff and they should
be able to transport the animals only under the best of conditions.
Temporary wildlife care is not particularly difficult once protocols are
written and the staff is well trained. Care is unique but based on a premise
of routines being performed already--examining, caging, feeding, treating,
placing or euthanizing. Wild animals, however are not dogs and cats. Certain
staff may need encouraging (because of phobias) and still others may need
restraint (because of appeal).
In the long term, many urban wildlife problems can be headed off at the
front counter with knowledgeable wildlife education and advice. Training
the telephone staff to respond to public inquiries (including those requesting
rescue services) can dispel many myths and greatly reduce the need for services./44
Exotic Care and Handling
Like most animal shelters around the country, CACC has limited space for
the housing of exotic animals and generally "makes do" depending
on the particular species presented. CACC has one ward in Manhattan for
a limited few exotics, but no caging of any substance is available for any
larger or difficult to house exotics. Several exotics were being sheltered
adequately at the time of The HSUS visit.
Recommendations: Animal shelters today must house and care for exotic, unusual, and fad animals including snakes, reptiles, fowl, fish, monkeys, sugar-gliders, and other small mammals./45 Caring for exotics in shelters presents unique challenges, especially in light of their ever-changing popularity. As shelters know too well, many are presented in poor condition by previous owners unaware of their special care needs. In addition, legal ownership of many of these animals is often prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Careful consideration must be therefore given regarding policy decisions for the release of any exotic animals for adoption.
Nonetheless, it appears that housing these types of animals is something that shelters will be struggling with for years to come. We strongly recommend that shelters carefully study the type and number of exotic (and other unusual) animals entering and needing care, with an eye toward building or renovating appropriate space for them somewhere in the shelter.
Decisions regarding the amount of space and the type and sizes of cages and tanks needed will be also be based on shelter protocols and species: whether any of these animals are made available for adoption, are only held for a limited stray period, or require extended housing during cruelty investigations. Some shelters (such as the Houston SPCA in Houston, TX) have dealt with this issue by taking steps to house a limited few exotics and other pocket pets in an area with a window for public viewing, but with no actual public contact.
EUTHANASIA
Methods/Techniques
The current methods and techniques of euthanasia in all CACC shelters are
consistent with those deemed appropriate within the 1993 American Veterinary
Medical Association (AVMA) Panel on Euthanasia. Fatal Plus® (manufactured
by Vortech® Pharmaceuticals) is the sodium pentobarbital drug formulation
used, and it is considered the standard in animal shelter euthanasia.
Dogs and cats are euthanized with an intravenous (IV) injection, and small puppies and kittens are euthanized with intraperitoneal (IP) injections. In addition, rodents and other small animals are euthanized by intraperitoneal injection. According to CACC protocol, intracardiac (IC) injections are not appropriate for routine use, and is acceptable only for animals who are thoroughly anesthetized.
The CACC uses acceptable methods of sedation and immobilization of animals when necessary prior to euthanasia. A combination of acepromazine (a sedative) with xylazine (an analgesic and alpha-agonist anesthetic) are used to effect. Ketamine (a dissociative anesthetic) is also available and occasionally used. Strict record-keeping protocols regarding drug use and inventory are in place within CACC Controlled Drug Logs/46 and are in compliance with state and federal record-keeping requirements.
HSUS E-Team members were given the opportunity to witness the CACC staff performing euthanasia. As it is, euthanasia can be quite stressful under normal circumstances, and performing this task with unknown consultants looking over one's shoulder is most certainly not easy. But rightfully, the animals were given the complete attention of the euthanasia technicians.
The CACC in Manhattan is now fortunate to have a licensed veterinary technician who comes in six mornings a week to perform euthanasia. In Brooklyn, there are a number of euthanasia technicians who share this responsibility. In Staten Island, the veterinarian in attendance performs all euthanasia.
The euthanasia we observed was performed adequately, thoroughly, and compassionately. We made efforts to specifically observe the licensed technician (hired specifically to perform euthanasia), and found him to be very professional and highly skilled at euthanasia.
An excellent system of checks and balances is in place to prevent errors at CACC facilities. We observed euthanasia technicians verifying the two required approval signatures and written reasons for euthanasia. Technicians also compared the identification number on the animal's with the number on the animal's cage card, and confirmed the physical description of the animal with the physical description on the cage card. This routine, performed under observation, clearly seemed to be a part of normal shelter operations.
CACC policy states that "When you euthanize cats, you may use either the cephalic vein, with the animal in sternal recumbency, or the femoral vein, with the animal in lateral recumbency. If there is any difficult or urgency, and the cat has not been tranquilized, intraperitoneal administration is acceptable."/47 On one occasion witnessed, however, several cats exhibited signs of distress while being restrained for intravenous (IV) injections. In addition, the euthanasia technician had some difficulty locating a vein for injection. Our presence may have unfortunately played a role in this instance -- both in the technician's desire to use the intravenous route (because it is CACC's preferred route), and his inability to quickly find a vein under the pressure of observation.
Recommendations: One of the most critical responsibilities of those in the animal care and control field is to provide the most humane death possible for companion animals when euthanasia is necessary. The term "euthanasia" is derived from Greek, meaning "good death." In order to be humane, every euthanasia technique must result in painless, rapid unconsciousness, followed by cardiac or respiratory arrest, and ultimately death./48
The HSUS recommends the method that the CACC shelters are using: the injection of sodium pentobarbital, prepared specifically for use as a euthanasia product, for the euthanasia of companion animals. This method, when properly performed, has been found to the most humane, safest, least stressful, and most professional choice by The HSUS, American Humane Association, National Animal Control Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association./49
The CACC should look closely, however, at their recommendations relating to the routes of injections for adult cats. Although the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and CACC all find the intravenous route of injection as the first choice when possible and/or appropriate, stress and anxiety for cats is significantly reduced (if not eliminated) by the use of intraperitoneal (IP) injection of sodium pentobarbital.
Intraperitoneal injection for cats is the new standard in animal shelters, requiring a combination of minimal restraint and a much more attainable level of skill. In addition, this technique actually takes less time to administer than intravenous injection, and The HSUS suggests that CACC strongly consider the use of intraperitoneal injections much more frequently than is currently the case. (See also in this section "Euthanasia Room /Environment" for more information on this subject.).
As current protocol suggests, animals brought to the euthanasia room who show aggression, fear, or resistance to restraint are sedated or anesthetized, and CACC staff seem to be doing a good job implementing this recommendation. Not surprisingly, however, pre-euthanasia sedation itself is an area where we saw somewhat inconsistent results. In fact, there is a certain amount of controversy in the shelter community surrounding the appropriateness of each of the various types of pre euthanasia, chemical restraints and their parameters for administration. In addition, shelter medicine itself is an emerging field, and new pre-euthanasia drug combinations and techniques are continually being explored. Our only recommendation is that CACC evaluate protocols routinely to keep pace with emerging research, opinions, and options.
Euthanasia Room and Environment
The euthanasia rooms themselves deserve special mention. The euthanasia
room in the Manhattan shelter appears quite noisy and full of boisterous
activity. Too often, staff members were knocking on the door, interrupting
the technician and handlers, entering to ask questions, and generally coming
and going. In addition, loud announcements over the intercom seemed to cause
stress to cats awaiting euthanasia. The euthanasia room at the Brooklyn
shelter was quiet and calm at the time of our visit, but we were only able
to witness euthanasia during a time when the shelter was closed to the public.
In Staten Island, the euthanasia room was small, but functional and secluded,
suggestive of a comfortable euthanasia environment.
Recommendations: The euthanasia room should be the quietest, most respected, least interrupted and most relaxed room in an animal shelter. Cats and dogs immediately pick up on the ambiance of the room and the people in it. While they do not know they are about to be euthanized, they do not know where they are or why. Animals generally will relax and feel more trusting, if the environment is pleasant, and they are comforted and reassured.
Even the staff's movements themselves will go a long way toward allaying animals' fears -- calm, gentle slow movements are preferred and do much to calm the animals. If a euthanasia room is noisy to the point of distraction, the animals will likely respond in kind. They will become difficult for staff to handle, and the quality of the euthanasia process will go down accordingly.
The HSUS strongly recommends that CACC management address these environmental
issues as a priority. The PA system in this room should be dismantled, and
protocols should be immediately put into place which provide some sort of
notification to discourage disturbances. Only in extreme emergencies should
this request be violated. Some shelters use a light (on or off) signal or
"Stop" and "Go" signs outside of the euthanasia room
to indicate when it is appropriate to knock on the door or enter. In addition,
the persons performing euthanasia should be exempt from other duties while
the euthanasia process is underway.
CACC management may also want to explore alternative or additional locations
for euthanasia at the Manhattan shelter. There is an "unexamined cat"
ward sufficiently out of the way that could be converted into a euthanasia
room, but this location may be too far from the freezer for carcass disposal.
A pleasant, relaxed environment is not only essential for the animals, but for the staff as well. Euthanasia performed in a calm, soothing environment is also much easier on the people involved, than euthanasia in a noisy and chaotic environment.
Special note: If intraperitoneal euthanasia is to be used on cats, then a quiet calm environment for cats is essential. Sodium pentobarbital injected using the intraperitoneal route does take longer to take effect, but the pharmacology is somewhat out of the scope of this report. Nonetheless, a lack of external stimulation plays an important role in smooth anesthesia, and the gradual drifting off to sleep. Cats who are startled or unable to remain quiet may go through an unpleasant period of excitement and disorientation, discouraging the ultimate success of this technique.
Euthanasia Technicians
New York state law holds specific requirements (in the Agriculture and Markets
section of the Health Code) relating to certification and performance of
euthanasia. All staff are required to attend a certification course (generally
sponsored or coordinated by the New York State Humane Association). We did
however, note inconsistencies that led us to believe there are not adequate
supplemental internal training processes within the CACC facilities themselves.
There is routine hands-on training of staff, and written materials on
euthanasia techniques are available. However we were not convinced that
there is enough education regarding the social, ethical, psychological and
medical aspects of the euthanasia process. For example, one staff member
seemed unaware of the "time to effect" for intraperitoneal euthanasia.
An additional area that seems to be lacking relates to training in methods
to cope with euthanasia stress and related effects. None of the staff we
met with had ever been spoken to about the psychological stress of mass
euthanasia and the need for someone (such as a counselor) to be available
for the staff. In fact, the staff we spoke with in the euthanasia room in
Manhattan stated that they had never considered the subject, although they
may not have been comfortable sharing their feelings with a total stranger.
CACC's general euthanasia policy includes a special section worth noting
here:
Euthanasia Protocol: Message to Staff
Euthanasia is the unfortunate reality that faces many animals in shelters. It is the most difficult part of the job emotionally . . . It is an unpleasant task which must be performed as humanely as possible. This particular aspect of the job, besides being the most difficult task emotionally, is also the area upon which your professional skills will be called upon and evaluated most frequently and critically./50
Recommendations: To humanely end the life of healthy, unwanted animals requires an exceptional degree of compassion, skill and emotional stamina. Nonetheless, every staff member, especially one who performs euthanasia, struggles at one time or another with feelings of conflict, hopelessness, sorrow, and anger. Nearly all can feel isolated from co-workers that don't perform euthanasia, and from friends and family that cannot or do not understand. In addition, they must face a public that condemns them for what they do, yet is frankly responsible for creating the conditions that make euthanasia a necessity.
CACC's euthanasia technicians perform an incredible service for the people of New York City. Yet, if staff are not able to look out for themselves, how can they be watching out for each other? The "culture" of shelter euthanasia at CACC is such that perhaps unwritten social codes discourage meaningful discussion and the implementation of crucial coping mechanisms./51 If support, coping mechanisms and counseling are not encouraged openly, the consequences can be serious. Unfortunately some animal shelters know too well the tragic reality of a staff member's suicide.
It is up to every humane agency to provide preventive support to all
staff members (and volunteers), with access to a professional program for
those who need assistance. Counseling should be available for all employees,
not just the technicians performing euthanasia. We strongly recommend that
a definitive arrangement be made and gently presented, which allows access
to counseling when and if needed. In addition to professional counselors,
therapists, and psychologists, time spent with other euthanasia technicians
can often offer the best support.
There is no way to overemphasize the importance of having a well-trained,
educated, and supported staff doing euthanasia in a system as large as CACC.
The HSUS strongly suggests that CACC management consider the use of an outside
euthanasia consultant. There are seminars given around the country which
address not only methods and techniques, but also societal concerns and
coping with stress. Many instructors specialize in teaching the psychological
risks of performing mass euthanasia, and the ways in which staff can recognize
warning signs in both themselves and fellow employees.
Special Note: As mentioned above, there has been a recent change within
the Manhattan shelter to have an outside person perform euthanasia in Manhattan,
six days a week. We understand this was done in part to reduce staff stress
associated with the euthanasia of animals they had developed a close relationship
with. While this new procedure has been met with resounding success, we
encourage CACC management to monitor the effects on this particular staff
member. Stepping back as an outsider, one can clearly see that this person
is taking on the bulk of stray animal euthanasia for the entire City of
New York.
Selection Criteria
As mentioned earlier, animals entering CACC facilities are given a status
category during the initial examination and processing. Status levels change,
and many animals are able to move "up the ladder" toward adoption
during their holding period. For the most part, euthanasia decisions are
based on current status levels.
Current shelter population is also one criteria that must be considered
during selection for euthanasia. In cases where the cat adoption cages and
dog adoption kennels are full, the Adoption Coordinator goes through the
kennels evaluating the animals both already up for adoption and those ready
for placement on the adoption floor. Decisions are then made to select which
(if any) animals in the adoption wards should be euthanized to make room
for incoming animals.
At the time HSUS E-Team members visited the Manhattan shelter, it was definitely overcrowded due to construction at the Brooklyn shelter. There were many banks of cages in the hallways (in the middle of busy foot traffic) where animals were awaiting intake examinations or merely being housed during their stray period. The dog kennels, with their double-tiered dog cages, were especially crowded. Many factors beyond CACC's control (in addition to renovations) play a role in overcrowding.
Recommendations: It is obvious, based on current shelter population levels, that CACC management and staff are attempting to provide housing and care for as many animals as possible. For many reasons, CACC's desire to maintain large "adoptable" populations is understandable in light of the current climate. While the desire to "save" animals is obviously commendable, filling a shelter to capacity can in the long run have a reverse effect.
CACC is under constant pressure to increase adoptions and "decrease the killing." Public threats, accusations, and even personal attacks abound. Countless documents provided to The HSUS E-Team in the form of public comment expressed a philosophy similar to the example listed here:
"In the mean time, CACC executive director Marilyn Haggerty-Blohm, still fails to reinstate a meaningful volunteer program, create substantial off-site adoptions, or fire the problem employees plaguing CACC. She and her P.R. flunkie, Kyle Burkhard (former AmeriCares fundraiser and Connecticut resident) instead concoct sinister skewed statics justifying (in their minds) the 40,000+ animal deaths at CACC each year as "reasonable" for a City the size of New York. Proof positive that this team is certainly not working in the best interest of animals -- and must go. We're working on it."/52
It would be unrealistic to suggest that euthanasia could be stopped at CACC facilities. Given the dynamics of overpopulation--that the inflow of unwanted animals continues to be far greater than the number of available homes--what is the most humane way to deal with the surplus animals entering shelters? The rush to save animals lives should not be at the very expense of those animals themselves.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) believes that limited-admission animal shelters, commonly called "no-kill" shelters, can play a helpful role within a community in helping homeless companion animals find responsible, lifelong homes. In short, an organization that chooses not to accept every animal can supplement an open-admission animal shelter, but it cannot substitute for one.
Organizations that choose not to euthanize animals also do not accept
every animal brought to it. Moreover, a limited-admission organization's
ability to choose not to euthanize homeless animals depends in part upon
the existence of animal shelters that do so. To fail to be forthright about
the realities of pet overpopulation is to create in the public's mind the
false and harmful perception that every animal shelter could choose to end
companion animal euthanasia without disastrous animal suffering resulting
from that decision. The acronym CACC, stands for the Center for Animal Care
and Control. CACC is currently called upon, or forced to provide adequate
and humane care and enclosures for animals who have been: relinquished by
their owners, found running at large, abandoned in rental properties, hit
by cars, picked up by good Samaritans, trapped in cages, impounded by the
NYPD, quarantined by the NY Dept. of Health, confiscated by the ASPCA, and
so on.
The CACC's responsibility, first and foremost, is to provide a safe haven
for lost and unwanted animals. The euthanasia of unwanted animals is a tragic
necessity that prevents animal suffering. At no time should a shelter be
asked to forced into (or threatened into) prolonged holding under less-than-adequate
or even inhumane conditions, and the animal populations of the CACC shelters
should continue to be defined by the number of good quality, humane and
healthy enclosures.
To determine the appropriate course of action, shelters should consider
not only variables such as health, behavior, age, temperament, appearance,
background, history and available space, but must also address many other
questions which include (but are not limited to):
1) Is the animal in pain or distress and is there hope of alleviating this pain to allow for a quality life?
2) What are the prospects for providing this animal with a quality life?
3) Does keeping the animal in its present condition and circumstances present significant health or safety risks to other animals or people?
4) Given the fiscal and practical limitations faced by the organization, does keeping the animal alive reduce the ability to care humanely for other animals in need?