COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners is not budging on the county’s continued use of a gas chamber to euthanize stray dogs even though a half dozen state and national animal rights groups had speakers show up at yesterday’s county board meeting pleading to have the machine shutdown. Virginia Holden from Berrien County told the Commission they need to question why only seven other states have animal gas chambers and why in the recent past all Michigan counties, with the exception of Branch, have decided not to use a gas chamber.
Other speakers pointed out what they believe to be the cruelty involved and want the county to switch to an intravenous injection method to euthanize unwanted animals. Any decisions to be made in Branch County are on hold since the County Animal Control Shelter building was heavily damaged by fire in late May.
The county board earlier this month approved repairs for the shelter so it can be reopened on an interim basis while a long term plan is developed. Commissioner Dale Swift is the board’s liaison for Animal Control and said yesterday there’s no action possible on the issue until a permanent solution on the shelter facility becomes known. He added that the out of date gas chamber that won’t be repaired if and when it breaks down has only been used 6 times since 2013.
