PAWS

Please help us lobby with the Department of Agriculture secretary

to retract approval of an Administrative Order that will allow

TAMBUCHO-KILLING:

Write to DA Secretary Alcala and the Committee on Animal Welfare (CAW)

Dear animal advocates,

Please help us lobby with the Department of Agriculture secretary to retract approval of an Administrative Order that will allow tambucho-killing:

NO TO TAMBUCHO GASSING

The Committee on Animal Welfare has passed the Administrative Order on Euthanasia of Animals and this AO has recently been signed by the Department of Agriculture last June 2010.

Despite the fact that animal welfare organizations like The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) have repeatedly requested that gassing via exhaust vehicle fumes or tambucho not be included among the methods of euthanasia, the twelve other members of the 14-man CAW has decided to include this inhumane method.

The reason behind the inclusion of this method is the cost and availability of the drug (sodium pentobarbital or EUTHAL).

Sodium pentobarbital, injected by well-trained and caring personnel, is the preferred method for providing the most humane death for dogs and cats. However, those who voted for the inclusion of tambucho gassing stated that the drug is expensive (approximately P150 per dog) and not available in many parts of our country.

Animal advocates have pointed out that efforts of Veterinary Groups in partnership with Animal Welfare NGOs should be focused on finding ways to make the drug available to all city pounds and to bring the costs of the drug down - not to push for inclusion of a method that is obviously outdated and inhumane.

Some veterinarians sitting in the Committee have argued that this was just going to be used on City Pound dogs, not by private practitioners. It had to be pointed out at the CAW meeting that the suffering of a pound dog is the same as the suffering of a dog of a “paying client” and that the main contention of animal advocates is the CRUELTY behind the tambucho-gassing procedure.

Another argument is that “gassing is still allowed in some states in advanced countries like the US” but those who said this had to be reminded that even the gassing method in those twelve states uses gas not coming from tambucho (vehicle exhaust fumes) but from commercially-manufactured carbon monoxide cylinders.

It is important to note that carbon monoxide cylinders are not available in the Philippines.

The Committee members who voted “yes” seem to be satisfied with the explanation that if the drug or if the carbon monoxide cylinders are not available in certain places, it is justifiable now to include tambucho-gassing as a way to kill unclaimed pound dogs.

Please let them know that this is unacceptable for you and that the government and non-government organizations can band together to make euthanasia by sodium pentobarbital available and affordable for all.

Please take time to write to Secretary Proceso J. Alcala,Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to heed animal rights advocates' call for the retraction of the approval of Euthanasia AO. Please keep your letters respectful :

Hon. Proceso J. Alcala
Secretary- Department of Agriculture
Fax 9298183

Copy:

Dr. Enrique T. Carlos
Chairman
Committee on Animal Welfare
c/o BAI-AWD
Tel 9247951

Euthanasia means a” good death”. Tambucho-killing videos show us that the dogs whimper and thrash about in pain for a good ten minutes before they die. Death by tambucho is not a humane death and should not be included among the legal “Euthanasia” methods in an Administrative Order under The Animal Welfare Act- a law which was created to protect animals from suffering and cruelty.

Reference: final draft euthanasia January 18, 2010.pdf

Sign the petition.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/tambucho-gassing-is-not-euthanasia

Click video links below:

graphic video of actual tambucho killing