PRINTER'S NO. 394
No. 350 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY MURPHY, RYAN, COWELL, CALTAGIRONE, TRELLO,
MICHLOVIC, VAN HORNE, GREENWOOD AND DAWIDA, MARCH 14, 1983
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
MARCH 14, 1983
AN ACT
1 Relating to euthanasia of pet animals; prohibiting certain
2 methods of euthanasia; and requiring certain training in the
3 administration of drugs; and providing penalties.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Prohibited means of euthanasia.
7 No animal shall be euthanized by means of a high altitude
8 decompression chamber or decompression device.
9 Section 2. Methods of euthanasia.
10 (a) Required method.--The required method of euthanasia
11 shall be by the administration of an overdose of a barbiturate,
12 barbiturate combinations, drug or drug combinations approved for
13 this purpose by the Federal Drug Administration and in
14 accordance with guidelines established by the American
15 Veterinary Medical Association.
16 (b) Authorized method.--Nothing in this act shall prevent a
17 person or Humane Society organization from euthanizing a pet
1 animal by means of firearms.
2 Section 3. Administration of drugs.
3 The barbiturates, barbiturate combinations or other Federal
4 Drug Administration approved drugs or drug combinations shall be
5 administered by intravenous, intraperitoneal or intracardiac
6 injections or orally by a licensed veterinarian or by a person
7 trained in the proper restraint, handling determination of death
8 and injection by the methods approved in this section by a
9 licensed veterinarian. The training shall be at least four hours
10 in duration and the person shall be certified as competent, in
11 writing, by that veterinarian.
12 Section 4. Exclusions.
13 Sections 2 and 3 of this act shall not apply to a medical
14 school or school of veterinary medicine or a research
15 institution affiliated with a hospital or university.
16 Section 5. Penalty.
17 Any person or organization found guilty of violating the
18 provisions of this act shall be fined not to exceed $250 per
19 violation day.
20 Section 6. Effective date.
21 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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