Mid TN Shelter

stacyd1987

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I swear if I ever see anything like that in my future profession, I would immediately call it in. I wouldn't care if they tried to fire me to keep me quiet. Honestly, they sound more like hit men than doctors in that story.
 

catsknowme

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Thank you for the link - shocking, ugly truth that must be revealed in order to be stopped. If you can, please post the link to tomorrow's follow-up, too.
 

rachelh1018

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Gallatin isn't too far from here...
I would like to give him a heart shot!!!! Heartless
!!!!!!!!!!!!
He should be put to death!!!!! Those poor babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

taterbug

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How horrible!!
Those poor babies!!
I'm sure it's not the only place that does this,though. I hope this gets enough attention and jolts more people into spaying and neuturing their pets. And I pray they aren't injecting them with air to save money!!
 

starryeyedtiger

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Yes, I agree- what they are doing- giving them a heart stick W/O sedation is wrong.

However- i would like to address for a moment why heart sticks can be necessary. I am a vet tech for our animal shelter- and yes, i have to help pts animals- it is very sad...we all get VERY attached to our shelter babies, but sometimes, it is necessary- sometimes the animals are just not adoptable- due to temperment, illness, overcrowding,etc. Nobody likes to pts animals- but sometimes it is necessary. The most important thing we can do to help reduce the amount of animals pts everyday across this country- is to educate people about responsible ownership- this includes proper vaccinations, proper training, and spaying/neutering.

When it becomes necessary to put down an animal,for whatever the reason may be- it should be done in a humane way- that is as quick and painless as can be. The proper way to euthanize an animal in the state of tennessee (which is where this shelter in question is located as well as mine) is to sedate the animal first then once the animal is peacefully asleep -you administer the lethal dose of the beuthanasia solution. (and record in a long the animals weight, the amount of sedation, the gender/info, etc- EVERYTHING must be documented- every last drop of solution must be accounted for.) Everyone who euthanizes an animal at a shelter in TN MUST pass a humane euthanazia class that the tn vet board conducts.

Now i understand to some who may have never seen a heart stick- that it can sound quite horrible. But keep in mind- sometimes it's necessary. We've had animals dumped off who were soo malnourished- that their blood pressure was SOOO low -it was impossible to hit a decient vein - you would be poking and prodding for hours on the poor animal and never hit a vein on them- so in time they would wake up- so that would be more cruel than doing a quick heart stick. so the heart becomes the most easy to hit organ and it is the most quick/least painfull way to put the poor animals out of their horrible suffering. Once the dosage is administered into the heart- they immedately pass- they don't have to wait for it to pass through all the veins/etc. Another reason for the heart stick is so that you know without a doubt when the heart has stopped beating. When the needle stops moving- you know the animal has passed on- you never want to put an animal's body in a bag and in a freezer unless you are absolutely certain it has passed away first- that would a horrible death for it to wake up - after being administered some euthanazia solution- only to freeze to death. Most shelters follow VERY VERY strict guidelines and are very humane about the way they carry out euthanazias. That being said though- there are some bad apples out there (and the shelter in mention certainly sounds like one for their practices) - and i certainly think that they should have their lisences to euthanize permanently suspended and have the shelter closed down if they can not operate and run their facility in a humane way that treats each animal with dignity and respect. Animals are living, breathing creatures and deserve to be treated well- this includes in their last moments. Preforming a heart stick without giving the animal sedation first is just cruel and heartless- those individuals who did that should be fired and their euthanazia lisences revoked in my opinion. They are giving all of the other techs/vets out there a bad repuation.

( In a side note - every heart stick i've ever seen or assisted with, that i remember has been done on a cat- never on an adult dog- EVERY single dog i've ever assisted in pts we were able to hit a vein - even on the very ill/underweight ones- there is no excuse for them to be doing a heart stick on a dog. Cats- yes, puppies- possibly depending on size....adult dogs, no)
 
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conbrio

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Originally Posted by taterbug

And I pray they aren't injecting them with air to save money!!
Well I hoe not too, but I did email the reporter that same question to see if there is a way to find out.
 
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conbrio

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StarryEyedTiGeR,

thank you for your insite.

On a side note, I grew up in Bartlett and now live close to Nashville
 

starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by conbrio

Well I hoe not too, but I did email the reporter that same question to see if there is a way to find out.
If an investiagation is launched and this is a city run shelter- the city can supena (sp?) the medical logs. EVERY single animal in our city's shelter is required to have a chart, - and every animal pts must have accurate info logged- this includes gender, weight, a description, age, reason for euthanazia, amount of sedation (ace and ketaset are most popular- but there are many different solutions/etc) used, amount of euthanazia solution (beuthanazia) used, time, date, id # of staff member who euthanized, id # of any assistance, and "yes" or "no" to - was vet present? (each log will vary a bit i'm sure - but they should all have the same basic info.) - and yes, our city DOES check our logs- frequently. And they should to make sure things are being done honestly. There should always be a system of checks and balances- especially when there are people in charge of "life or death" calls so to speak- you don't want anyone corrupt making decisions like that.

If that city does investigate the logs- that is the best way to find out what's really going on. Granted though- the logs are not full proof, and a dishonest shelter could altar them if they really wanted to.
 

starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by conbrio

StarryEyedTiGeR,

thank you for your insite.

On a side note, I grew up in Bartlett and now live close to Nashville
You're very welcome!
(i hope nobody hates me for posting that, but i did feel it was important to share why it can sometimes be necessary to preform that medical procedure because sometimes a vein stick just isn't possible on some very ill animals.)

I live in Bartlett
(just moved out from Memphis a little while ago- sooo glad!) Glad to have another former Bartlett friend on TCS
 

starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by conbrio

StarryEyedTiGeR,

Maybe when I head down there to see family sometime we can have a mini TCS get together
That would be soo fun! I would definitely like to have a TN meetup sometime in the future!
 

catcaregiver

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I couldn't even finish reading the story. That is just too cruel. I don't have any problem with using a heart shot for euthanasia but at least make sure the animal is completely sedated before you do it!! I saw heart shots administered many times when I was a volunteer but it was only done after there was absolutely no reaction to physical stimuli.
 

alleygirl

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I can understand why it can sometimes be necessary, but it seems to me that he did it just because it was less work for him and more money.

I hope he burns in hell.
 
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conbrio

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I just a reply from the reporter on the story. He stated according to the log of the vet, he (the vet) is using the lethal injections.
 

starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by conbrio

I just a reply from the reporter on the story. He stated according to the log of the vet, he (the vet) is using the lethal injections.
Yes, they would be using a lethal injection since the animals wound up passing- but my question would be- did they have anything recorded in the log as far as anestesia goes? There should be a seperate anesteasia log with the amount used written in the book (it goes by weight). Normally the cat hooch used is Ketaset to sedate them and then once they're out they should recieve a dose of beuthanazia. Also did they list exactly what they were using as their euthanazia drug? Any drug can be lethal depending on how much you use- i'm wondering if they used the proper one though?
 
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conbrio

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dunno. Right now the follow up story is coming up on the 6 oclock news. in about 30 mins. so we will see what happens. If anyone has questions feel free to email the reporter. He did email me back with a response, which surprised me greatly.

I will post the response as soon as it appears on the website
 
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