Animal advocates seek change at West Valley City shelter

WEST VALLEY CITY — Residents and animal-rescue groups are asking city leaders to step in and correct what they say are regular problems with the carbon monoxide gas chamber at the city animal shelter.

Janita Coombs, director of the nonprofit Community Animal Welfare Society, said she became concerned about euthanasia practices at the shelter in October, when a black, long-haired cat named Andrea survived two cycles in the gas chamber.

Shelter employees thought the animal was dead following the second procedure, and it was placed in a plastic bag and in the shelter's cooler. About 30 minutes later, an employee entered the refrigerated room, heard meowing and saw movement in the plastic bag.

Andrea had survived — again.

Today, Andrea appears happy and healthy with her new family, fellow felines Jake and Leo and owner Karilyn Brown. Andrea shows no signs of the trauma she went through just three months earlier.

"She's a normal cat, which is amazing after all she's been through," said Brown, who lives in Cottonwood Heights.

City and shelter officials said Andrea is "an anomaly," but Coombs wasn't so sure.

She took Andrea in following the ordeal and spent two months nursing her back to health. Coombs also started looking into euthanasia operations at the shelter.

"I was disappointed to discover the shelter had not been documenting how many times a gas cycle was run or how long it takes to complete the cycle," Coombs told the West Valley City Council earlier this week.

Through a public records request, she was able to obtain emails and a few written notes that indicated problems with the gas chamber or its operation on at least seven occasions prior to the incident involving Andrea.

Feb. 25, 2010 — A shelter employee sent an email stating that five cats had been placed in the chamber. Three of the five did not die after the first cycle. A lethal injection was used to put down the three cats.

March 1, 2010 — Employee notes show that the gas chamber was not completing its cycle and that the problem needed to be reported to shelter operations director Kelly Davis.

July 7, 2011 — A written note by an employee indicated there was a "possible chamber issue," along with the advice: "do not use."

Aug. 8, 2011 — An email reported to shelter officials that it took two cycles of the gas chamber to euthanize the animals inside.