LETHAL CHAMBER WILL BE GIVEN TRIAL BY COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18940, 10 December 1929, Page 10

LETHAL CHAMBER WILL BE GIVEN TRIAL BY COUNCIL.

PAINLESSLY DESTROYING STRAY CATS AND DOGS.

As the result of an offer made by the Humanitarian and Anti-Vivisection Society of,New Zealand, a trial is to be made tiy the City Council of a lethal chamber for the painless destruction of stray cats and dogs. Representatives of the society recently waited on the Works Committee of the council and intimated that it was prepared to present to the council a “ Speary ” pistol and lethal chamber on the understanding that the 400 gallon tank which is at present used for the destruction of animals is dispensed with. The council decided to make a trial of the lethal chamber, but was not prepared to scrap the tank, as in the event of the lethal chamber not'' proving successful, it would be necessary to revert to the existing method of drowning. On this understanding the society immediately ordered from London a lethal chamber capable of containing two small dogs or two cats. It is expected that it will be received within about two months and a half. Mrs M. Houston, a member of the society, said to-day that these small lethal chambers are sold in hundreds yearly by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and had been used in many parts Of the Empire for over forty years. The one that was to be tried out in Christchurch had been ordered from the Dogs’ Home, Battersea, London. Some years ago a large lethal chamber was constructed in Christchurch according to the design submitted by the Dogs’ Home, Battersea, but it was not given a thorough try-out and had since not been used by the council. The method used for operating the chamber was to place the animals in it and then to put in a wad saturated with chloroform. In the case of sfnall animals this had the effect of putting them into a sleep from which they never recovered, the strength of the chloroform being increased according to the size of the animal. For the larger animals a mixture of chloroform and gas was used. There was a glass door in the front through which the animals could be watch, d. This method of destruction was the most humane that had yet been de~ vised, said Mrs Houston, and was the only one recommended by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The drowning method caused unnecessary suffering for the animals.