In city and municipal pounds across the country, they are and have been using a horrifying method of putting down unclaimed and unwanted dogs.
Just recently, the Department of Agriculture enacted an Administrative Order which allows for the inhumane “tambucho-gassing method” of dogs (and even cats).
The procedure starts with seven to ten dogs manhandled and stuffed in a metal box that they seal. The dogs as one can imagine howl and wail in panic and fear, scratching the walls of the box, and each other. A hose is connected from a vehicle’s exhaust pipe to the metal box. The vehicle revs its engine continuously for 10 to 15 minutes, emitting poisonous fumes, sending the dogs to a maddening frenzy, whimpering and howling, feeling every bit of pain possible.
Then… silence. Death.
The tambucho killing method is currently being done on a weekly basis in some provinces with the use of improvised gas chambers. Some of these allow the gas to leak, making it a longer, more painful torture. Sometimes,the dogs are in the metal box, crying for help for an hour.
The Administrative Order states that this is an accepted and legal method of euthanasia.Euthanasia means “good death.” Where is the good in this? Is it good because it costs less and it augurs well for the city or municipality”s budget?
The main rationale for the government would condone this cruel way of putting down animals is economic reasons. They gauge that it would only take P5 to put down a dog by way of tambucho gassing. As opposed to injecting sodium pentobarbital (or Euthal) by well-trained and caring personnel which is the preferred method for providing the most human death for dogs and cats. They just get numb and go to sleep according to veterinarians. The injection of barbiturates is also included, but because it costs about P150 per dog, they would rather employ the cheaper option.Where is the good in this?
Other countries have similar but a lot more sophisticated means of putting down animals. In Japan, they have a chamber that even looks like an operating room for humans, where they use carbon monoxide in cylinders which is odorless, tasteless and colorless, although their method already draws a lot of controversy. But because carbon monoxide is not available in the Philippines, we resort to the more barbaric, painful, cruel version.
More than that, this method adds to the problem of our environment. Imagine the greenhouse gas emissions of these vehicles that will be revived for at least 10 minutes per killing session, multiply that by the number of times they have to perform it in a week, times the number of dogs across the country. They don't even think about the carbon footprint that this will leave behind?
If we need to put a dog to death because he cannot be cared for, the least we can do is send him off as painlessly and as humanely as possible.Like Mahatma Gandhi said, The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I think we as Filipinos should call the attention of President Aquino. This is no wang-wang or tong but it surely does have a greater effect on the moral fiber of our nation
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