Manual will address euthanasia of strays in Cherokee County

Cherokee County animal control officers will be required to comply with a new department policies and procedures manual, but county officials said it could be months before one is adopted.

Two former animal shelter volunteers told council at its last meeting that officers, who are state-certified euthanasia technicians, had been using intracardial injections to euthanize fully conscious animals, a violation of state law.

Intracardial injections, commonly referred to as "heart sticks," are considered inhumane and cruel when performed on animals that aren't anesthetized or comatose. Using the "heart stick" method is painful because the needle containing sodium pentobarbital - a schedule II controlled substance used to euthanize animals - passes through the chest wall and several layers of muscle before puncturing the heart. If the euthanasia substance isn't carefully and accurately administered, an animal's lungs could be punctured, causing them to fill with fluid, a painful way to die.

Intracardial injections are difficult to administer effectively on fully conscious animals because in the animal, the lungs and the heart are constantly moving, said Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a veterinarian and professor of veterinary medicine who is considered a euthanasia expert by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The state Attorney General's Office and Department of Health and Environmental Control are investigating euthanasia procedures at the shelter.

Andrea Gilfillan and Libby Swad, who addressed the council last month, said intracardial injections have been performed without anesthesia for at least two years by officers who are trained on humane euthanasia practices. Neither the shelter nor any of its employees are licensed by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency through DHEC to have controlled substances on the shelter premise. Officers purchased the euthanasia substance through a local veterinarian, county officials said.

About 1,165 animals were euthanized in 2007, according to animal shelter figures. Of the 2,762 animals that entered the shelter, 1,341 were rescued or transported to other areas for adoption; 146 were reclaimed by their owners; 52 were adopted directly from the shelter and 58 were unaccounted for. The 2006 statistics were similar, with 2,527 animals entering the shelter. Of those, 1,731 were euthanized; 605 were rescued or transported to other areas for adoption; 117 were reclaimed by their owners and 74 were adopted directly from the shelter.

Swad and Gilfillan also asked the county to hire a shelter manager and improve shelter conditions.

The officers accused of performing intracardial injections on fully conscious animals haven't been reprimanded by the county, and they remain on full-time duty.

The county is contracting with local veterinarians to perform euthanasias indefinitely.

The animal shelter is jointly financed by the city of Gaffney and Cherokee County. The city owns the building, and the county owns the land.

"We're talking with the city of Gaffney about our contract with them, and we're talking with our animal control personnel and others on how best to develop this policy and procedures manual," said Bailey Humphries, chairman of the county public works committee.

Assistant County Administrator Holland Belue said the county is still gathering information on shelter operations and wouldn't estimate how long it would take to develop the manual.

"We want to be sure to get it right," Belue said.

Council took no action Monday night after hearing Humphries' report.