Petition the Prime Minister to Ban the use of Captive bolt guns

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heard too many horror stories using injection, and I mean real horrors that have put me off for life.
Our old horse was PTS with CBG, and although we talked to the vet about injection he said it would take him a long time to die as his system was shutting down (old horse and long story)


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I've heard horror stories too - but it's down to the vet, not the method. I've had several horses put down by injection and ALL were totally trouble free and very peaceful. The key is giving a hefty dose of IV sedation - and waiting for it to kick in - BEFORE the lethal injection - the effects of which can make the horse panic. When my vet does them, they lie down due to sedation, then have lethal injection with no fuss - and just quietly die. It can take a couple of minutes for the heart to stop completely, but because of the sedation, there is no pain or panic.

I have also had horses put down by the hunt - using free bullet not captive bolt. Again, a good result when done by an experienced, competent person who takes time to get the horse settled first although they can kick a bit when they go down.
 
I saw a dog euthanased by gun (presumably CBG) on an RSPCA programme many years ago. The dog had been stuck in a drain, it was near deaths door and the inspector said that the circulation was too poor to be able to PTS by injection. He gave the dog a fuss and then it was over in a fraction of a second. I don't agree with its use where injection is possible but in cases like this if there had been no alternative, this animal would have died a horrible and undignified death.
 
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Sadly, I think the point of the original post has been lost ..

It is about the use of a method to kill dogs that has been banned for many years in Ireland. It is not banned in England. It is used successfully in abattoirs by trained slaughtermen. The RSPCA has no such training - they admit that.


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Some RSPCA Inspectors are authorised to carry captive bolts, they receive training in the use of these. They are used to humanely dispatch injured wild animals amongst other things.

They are a humane method of dispatching an animal quickly, the pithing is neither here nor there, it is something you have to do with some species and in some circumstances. To remove this as an option would be extremely foolhardy based on the emotional response to one incident
 
Whatever your views on usage of a CBG, let's clear up the injection thing.

With the advances in vet science, there is nothing to worry about and the reactions ar no different to when a horse has been shot.

Owners who elect for injection are not necessarily bunny huggers - why does anyone who expresses any concern for animl welfare on here automatically be labelled in this way - they just don't like the idea of their horse being shot + the subsequent bleed that some have which can be rather unpleasant at an already distressing time (for those who are that way inclined anyway).
 
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The use of the captive bolt is the quickest and kindest approach under certain circumstances, but the Society recognises that it may be perceived as a controversial method of euthanasia for companion animals.

Sadly, the RSPCA is often seen as the charity of last resort and so that an animal's welfare is not compromised further, euthanasia is often the kindest option. No one working for the Society finds this aspect of their role at all easy. Until there is greater recognition of the issues surrounding indiscriminate breeding and irresponsible pet ownership it is likely to remain an aspect of our work.



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The first sentence above I think is the key one: "under certain circumstances". The RSPCA are not saying they routinely use the CBG on dogs, just that sometimes it is the kindest way. That is very different to the OP which seemed to suggest it was a method they commonly used. It isn't. If my maths is right (which is probably isn't), 11% of the dogs PTS were dispatched with CBG. That really, IMHO, isn't a significant figure.

I think the RSPCA's comments about indiscriminate breeding are very important as well. OP, I suggest that you start a campaign to deal with this rather than making a fuss about the RSPCA having to occasionally PTS a dog using CBG.
 
CBG is quick painless and easy to administer. It is a single action which ends a life in an instant.

Personally, my opinion is that death is never nice, however, as humans, if we make the decision to end an animals life on ethical grounds, we have a responsibility to ensure it is done as humanely, quickly and instantly as possible.

To me the CBG is as, if not more, ethical as any other method of dispatch. I would have a dog pts using it if the option was available. I would rather take my dog on a last walk, and have him pts in a field than drag him to the unfamiliar environment of the vets causing additional stress to us both. It is the only option for any horse I own - the horse I had PTS last year had an entirely normal day, was turned out in the field, led to the gate, given an apple and the bolt was administered. He went in a calm, relaxed fashion with no hysteria, tears, needles, vets, or clinical atmosphere. Much as I wanted to be there, I turned him out and left, as I didnt want his last moment to be in any way negative. It would, and has been, the same for family pets - my vet has always come to the house/yard, and whilst euthanised with injection, it has always been done calmly and quickly.

Sometimes we have to seperate our "human" thoughts and think what is best for the animal involved. The greatest service we do any pet is making sure their last moments are as pain and stress free as possible.
 
4musketeers, I think you need to do a little more research. Captive bolts are very rarely used on dogs. Yes, there have been cases in the greyhound industry recently reported in the press, used by people who are too tight or ashamed to have a vet put the animal down (usually perfectly healthy dogs) and it is easier to get a licence for a captive bolt than a firearm. The only time a vet or someone like the RSPCA would use one would be outside of a surgery environment when the dog was so far gone a vein couldn't be raised to put in a lethal injection. A captive bolt works by stunning the animal, knocking it unconscious, then the rod destroys the fundamental areas of the brain, killing the animal.

Using a bullet often makes shot horses jump about on the ground too - they are totally involuntary movements as the brain dies. The animal loses control of its bladder and bowels because the muscles lose input from the brain. When you die, the chances are it will happen to you too. It is a natural process. A bullet can produce considerable blood loss (modern practice is to use a dum-dum type bullet with a soft tipwhich explodes on impact and causes catastrophic damage, so is infinitely more likely to kill instantly). If you want to avoid that, use a lethal injection.
 
fatpiggy, the purpose of this petition, if I understand it correctly, is to prevent the use of CBG on small animals. It isn't used regularly or commonly as a first choice, and if the use of it is taken away altogether it limits the options for people who need to humanely dispatch animals.

A vet with a nice quiet injection is not always at hand, and it isn't always the best method in every set of circumstances.

Just as the closure of abattoirs has led to animals having to travel vast distances (in the US particularly), doing away with things that we might not like is not always the wisest or kindest choice.
 
What a load of rubbish you are spouting OP.
Letahal injections CAN go wrong. I elect to have equines PTS by Captive Bolt.
 
mother_hen, I'm not sure what you are saying. I agree totally that the option should not be removed. Anything which removes suffering quickly should be available. The OP has spun a horror story which I have attempted to tidy-up/explain. But as we have both pointed out, the captive bolt is rarely used on small animals. My choice for my horse in the lethal injection, partly because (out of pure sentiment) I don't want my horse's pretty face ruined with a bloody hole, whether she is dead or not. I have not personally heard of problems with this method, but I do know of two friends who held horses which were shot and it went rather nastily wrong. I'm sure lots of people would totally reverse this with their own experiences and that is fine. Each to their own. In the old days, small animals were destroyed by injecting them with potassium. Thankfully the barbiturates injection has replaced that. As for destroying dogs in full view of others, how do people think deer are slaughtered for venison? They are shot in the herd by an experienced marksman. The others barely even notice them drop.
 
For small animals it should be by injection but having seen my beautiful equine friend dying slowly after an injection, something that haunts me to this day, I would always opt for a CBG to euthanise an equine.
I had another horse pts with a CBG following breaking her knee and it was over in seconds.
 
Fatpiggy - CBG - Should never be used on Dogs or any small animal and for 10 dogs to be shot using the CBG at one time in my honest opinion is disgusting.

and perhaps people posting should visit some of the links provided earlier in the topic and do a bit more research and not say that this is just hysterical tree huggers with nothig better to do with there time spouting a load of nonsense!
 
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Fatpiggy - CBG - Should never be used on Dogs or any small animal and for 10 dogs to be shot using the CBG at one time in my honest opinion is disgusting.

and perhaps people posting should visit some of the links provided earlier in the topic and do a bit more research and not say that this is just hysterical tree huggers with nothig better to do with there time spouting a load of nonsense!

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So how would you suggest putting down a dog whose system has slowed down so much that the vet couldn't guarantee the drugs in lethal injection would be transported around the body?
 
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Fatpiggy - CBG - Should never be used on Dogs or any small animal and for 10 dogs to be shot using the CBG at one time in my honest opinion is disgusting.

and perhaps people posting should visit some of the links provided earlier in the topic and do a bit more research and not say that this is just hysterical tree huggers with nothig better to do with there time spouting a load of nonsense!

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Never?
That is very strong.
There may be times when it is the kindest and most expedient method.
If you had your way it would cease to be an option in any circumstances and THAT is true cruelty
 
Does the OP have the opinion that a free bullet or shot of any form should not be used to euthenise a dog? I am aware of a number of people local to this area who will/have shot elderly dogs at home. The dog is unaware of the impending death, has no stress and dies with the person it has lived with. This means that the dog does not have to travel, cope with the clinical atmosphere and smell of strange animals at a time when it is ill/incappacitated etc.
What is nicely sanitized for the human is not necessarily in the dogs best interest.
 
I think it all depends on the compentency of the operator.
Any method of destroying an animal is not "pleasant"
Tell me why vets cannot carrying firearms routinely in their vehicles which would save a lot of suffering.
I have heard horror stories of cattle having to be shot but the person who was brought in to shoot took three or four attempts to kill the beast and someone else had to finish it off.
I will not be signing the petition.
As i originally stated there are horror stories about all methods of destruction.
Don't be daft and leave it open to even worse methods of destruction of this was removed.
 
If circulation is gone, they can always inject into the heart/kidney...

Going out with a vet I have heard a few euthanasia stories, some reported in the VDS newsletter, some as folklore from the vets I know.

Horses are generally PTS with a free bullet rather than a captive bolt, as the captive bolt isn't necessary long enough to get through the horse's sinuses into the brain.
 
Lethal injection for me all the way, much perfer this then the gun but in a dangerous situation then gun is the better option then I agree.
 
The International Companion Animal Management Coalition (“ICAM”) deems the captive bolt to be an unacceptable method of “euthanasia” stating:

'The penetrative captive bolt pistol must be placed in contact with the animal’s skull and precise positioning is essential so that the bolt penetrates the correct area of the brain first time. Animals must be adequately restrained so that the head remains steady (Carding, 1977; Dennis et al., 1988; Beaver et al., 2001), which makes this method particularly difficult with fearful and aggressive dogs and cats (Carding, 1977). Furthermore, the conformational differences between the skulls of individuals and breeds of dogs increase the risk of a mis-stun. The principle skull types are dolichocephalic (long, narrow head), brachycephalic (short, wide heads) and mesaticephalic (medium proportions).

As there is a high risk of mis-stunning through inadequate use of the penetrating captive bolt, and hence causing pain and distress, WSPA considers this an unacceptable method for the euthanasia of dogs and cats.

The RSPCA is itself a high-profile member of ICAM.
 
Just because something is less than ideal does not mean it should be automatically banned.

The less options open the greater the likelihood of pain and suffering to animals.

Of course those who are hell bent on knocking the RSPCA may not be quite so concerned with animal welfare if it gets in the way of their personal mission
 
Yeah make the captive bolt gun illegal then they can shoot the dogs with a double barrel shot gun, that will be a lot less messy. Utter drively and the PM will never move on this. To put a bull down by lethal injection would take upwards of 5 minutes because they weigh that much, why put a vet in danger having to hang about a dieing bull when a bullet (or screw driver as you put it?!) would be quicker and safer.
 
You are right that it is the usual way of killing cattle, rams, boars due to thick skulls; insensibility is instantaneous due to the brain exploding as the pressure in the central ventricles massively increases. There is no chance of an animal returning to consciousness, and in the 1000s I have seen killed in this way it is a humane death. 'Pithing', passing a rod through the hole to the brain stem (not to 'mash up' the brain), completes the total brain death.
I am sure that the RSPCA had very good reason to use this unusual method of small animal euthanasia
 
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