Legislature(2001 - 2002)
04/02/2002 01:50 PM Senate L&C
| Audio | Topic |
|---|
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 306-EUTHANASIA FOR DOMESTIC ANIMALS
CHAIRMAN STEVENS announced HB 306 to be up for consideration.
REPRESENTATIVE LANCASTER, sponsor of HB 306, said in Alaska the
animal control agencies do not have the authority to purchase,
possess or use certain drugs to perform the most humane method of
euthanasia for domestic animals. Right now a veterinarian has to
be called to do this or the animal would have to be taken to a
veterinarian facility. If an animal is brought in suffering,
nothing can be done until the vet gets there and this could take
hours. If HB 306 were to pass, injured animals would not have to
suffer these hours and the process would be more humane. During
business hours a veterinarian might be busy with other animals
and unable to respond immediately or sometimes there isn't one
available in small villages, which have access to veterinarians
only occasionally and have to resort to harsher methods of
euthanasia. If an animal is brought in in the middle of the
night, it would take longer for a vet to respond. Pet owners
would still have the option of bringing their animals to a vet.
The goal of HB 306 is not to take business away from
veterinarians, but to provide a more humane cost-
effective method to treat sick or abandoned animals.
Not only would it be more efficient and humane, it will
also save municipalities money. With the fiscal
situation the state is in, finding areas to save money
is essential. In the Mat-Su alone, the animal shelter
is spending $34,000 and up per year to contract for the
service with the local veterinarian.
In Fairbanks, it costs up to $85 per case. He said that agencies
in this program will be under the self sufficiency act, so this
would not cost the state of Alaska any money. Agencies wishing to
apply will have certain guidelines to follow in order to obtain
and keep these permits. Those who will be administering these
drugs will have completed a euthanasia technician certification
course that is approved by the National Animal Control
Association, the American Humane Association, and Public Humane
Society of the United States.
Testimony in the House revealed that there were concerns that
drugs would be available to untrained individuals, but any agency
that applies for the permit will have to follow the rules in
effect for possession of drugs for veterinarians. They will have
to be kept under lock and key and licensed supervision. The DEA
has indicated there has been very few investigations of these
drugs and those were because of improper storage. Thirty-one
other states have laws allowing animal control leagues to use the
right to apply for a permit to purchase, possess and use drugs
for euthanasia of domestic animals.
MS. SHANA ANDERSON said she has been the animal control officer
in Valdez for almost 13 years and she is also the president of
the Alaska Animal Control Association. She supported HB 306,
explaining that right now she has a very good working
relationship with a veterinarian, but that isn't always the case.
Other agencies have had problems being able to purchase drugs.
"Anyone in this field who performs euthanasia are professional
people, they're compassionate people…"
MS. ANDERSON said that she wished she could be put out of
business and that euthanasia wasn't needed. Many times it is
necessary because animals don't have homes.
MS. LAURA HOOD, Manager, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Division
of Animal Control, supported HB 306.
Unfortunately, thousands of animals are euthanised in
shelters in the state of Alaska each year. This bill
allows animal shelter workers to legally purchase,
maintain and use the drug which is accepted as the best
euthanasia method that we have available to us. This
bill will save municipalities money as they become able
to purchase these drugs directly from the
manufacturers. They will no longer have to rely on the
services of a veterinarian to purchase or administer
the drug, which can cause the municipalities thousands
of dollars each year. It will protect veterinarians by
removing responsibility of these drugs when used in
animal shelters from the veterinarians and placing it
with the animal sheltering agencies. It will allow
communities without veterinarians to practice modern,
safe and humane animal control. It will allow humane
euthanasia for injured pets in emergencies that may
occur day or night. The euthanasia technician
certification requirement will set a state wide
standard for the level of care that pets receive in
their last moments of life and will raise the level of
professionalism in animal control workers providing
this service. I really urge you to support this bill.
Thanks.
MR. BRETT REID, Kenai Animal Shelter, supported HB 306. He wanted
to clarify that the "tool" they need to conduct euthanasia is
basically a controlled overdose that does require some training.
The course for using it is offered 20 times in the coming year
and will probably be offered in Juneau, as well. The federal
record keeping is pretty well established, so the wheel doesn't
have to be reinvented on that issue. This is not a blank ticket
to buy drugs as the bill lists specific ones that can be used.
MS. MARIANNE CLARK, Soldotna Animal Shelter, said she had been in
this field for over 25 years and supported HB 306. "This is a
very important tool for us to use. It is the most humane method
of euthanising the animals…"
MS. NANCY BUCKMASTER, Sitka Animal Control Officer, said she runs
the animal shelter and is the euthanasia technician. She has been
certified for almost four years and has a good working
relationship with the two veterinarians that work there. She
supported this bill. She said it's more of a timing issue for
those that have good working relationships with veterinarians. If
she is not able to get drugs when she needs them, the process has
to wait.
Anyone who performs euthanasia usually has to be
mentally ready and when those tools are not available
for us, we then again have to redo our mental state and
get prepared again to euthanise an animal. It's not an
easy process, but the timing has to be there. I would
ask that you support this bill for not only us, but all
the smaller communities that are in the Alaska area.
MS. HAVA LEE, Executive Director, Juneau Gastineau Humane
Society, supported HB 306. She said that everyone in this
business knows that euthanasia is a difficult topic, but it is
part of their job and there is training available. The procedure
is not to be taken lightly. There is nothing in the bill that
says that organizations would have to discontinue using a
veterinarian for this service and probably in Juneau they would
continue. This bill provides options that allow qualified
individuals to have access to euthanasia drugs. In instances
where a veterinarian is not available, this could mean the
difference between a humane death or hours or even days of
endless agony for an animal. Supporters of this bill including
humane societies and animal shelters and animal control officers
throughout the state do not see this bill as a cheap way to
reduce the animal populations. Animal organizations have an
aggressive spay and neuter program. Humane societies and animal
shelters do not create domestic over populations, but they are
responsible for dealing with the problems of pets when they
populate too much.
In Juneau, as in most if not all animal shelters,
animals are euthanised if there is no possibility that
they will be adopted. We do euthanise animals that are
severely injured, old and too sick to recover and/or
vicious and like most animal welfare organizations, we
go out of our way to find homes for adoptable animals.
We do not have a list of people who want to adopt a 17-
year old cat that sprays and has diabetes. That's just
the reality.
TAPE 02-17, SIDE B
MS. CATHERINE REARDON, Director, Division of Occupational
Licensing, said her division staffs the Veterinary Board. She has
reviewed and worked with the sponsor so they would be able to
administer the bill if it passes and she didn't have any
technical problems with it.
MS. REARDON said that the Veterinary Board is not totally
comfortable with the bill, because they are concerned about
whether there would be sufficient insurance that the euthanasia
drugs would be kept secure in community settings. They are also
concerned about "pre-medication," meaning that sometimes animals
need to be given a soothing drug before they can be euthanised
because they are agitated by their situation. They are concerned
about those drugs having potentials to become street drugs.
SENATOR DAVIS asked if the Board of Veterinarians brought this up
on the House side.
MS. REARDON replied that she thought it was mentioned in House
Labor and Commerce.
SENATOR AUSTERMAN asked if the concern of the Board was that the
control of the drug was not going to be tight enough.
MS. REARDON replied yes.
SENATOR AUSTERMAN asked if it was true that veterinarians
controlled the drug now and there is no problem.
MS. REARDON replied yes. DEA has rules about tracking the drugs
and locking them up and things like that. The veterinarians' DEA
permits are on the line if they don't adhere to those
regulations.
SENATOR AUSTERMAN said he assumed that municipalities would fall
under those same rules.
MS. REARDON said she thought the concern was with the smaller
communities who might not have the resources or staff to adhere
to all the requirements.
SENATOR TORGERSON moved to pass CSHB 306 (L&C) out of committee
with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note.
There were no objections and it was so ordered.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|