BRANCH COUNTY, Mich. -- Suzanne Sarlls-Hartwell addressed the Branch County Board of Commissioners Thursday morning. She voiced her disgust for the county's gas chamber, which is designed to euthanize animals.
"It's a horrible way to die," she said.
"As they begin to panic and thrash around in this box, they gasp for their last breath and suffocate. And their final moments are full of terror and pain," Sarlls-Hartwell described.
Hartwell, who rescues animals herself, said she prefers lethal injections if an animal needs to be put down. She's even taken to social media with a petition to make gas chambers illegal in Michigan.
The gas chamber in Van Buren County officially started collecting dust about a month ago, according to the sheriff's department. It's no longer in use. As FOX 17 has reported, just two of 83 Michigan counties still use a gas chamber, Cass and Branch counties.
"We haven't bought gas for our chamber in over three years," John Pollack, the Branch County sheriff said.
Pollack said that's because it's rarely used.
The sheriff added, "What I can tell you is that we've taken in 703 dogs in the last 3 years, and we hadn't had to put any down until this year."
Pollack said six dogs (considered too aggressive) have been put down in that time and most were euthanized by lethal injection.
County administrator Bud Norman said, "We do have a very low euthanasia rate in the county."
Norman said the county is very fortunate in that regard, and "we do it because of citizens like her, groups like her that are able to get the animals and to find a home for them." He said he also wants to do what's best for the animals, but challenges do exist.
"Our two concerns is personnel staffing and financing," Norman said.
He said Branch County Animal Control has one employee. In addition, the county needs to be responsible with taxpayer dollars.
"You heard Suzanne talk this morning that it's half the cost to do [injections]. I'd like to research that further and see if that actually is half the cost," Norman told FOX 17.
No decision was made today in the meeting. Sarlls-Hartwell addressed the board during public comment. She is also urging state lawmakers to pass legislation to ban gas chambers for animals statewide.
