Oklahoma § 4-501 - Disposal of animals kept for pleasure - Method

§ 4-501. Disposal of animals kept for pleasure - Method

A. Any dog, cat or any other animal which is kept for pleasure

rather than utility in or about a household, held by or in the

custody of a private or public animal shelter or agency and not

reclaimed by the owner, may be disposed of only by:

1. Adoption as a pet in a suitable home;

2. Delivery to a licensed educational or research institution

in accordance with the provisions of Sections 391 through 402 of

this title; or

3. Euthanasia by only one of the following methods:

a.

administration of denatured sodium pentobarbital,

b.

the use of a carbon monoxide chamber, using

commercially compressed cylinder gas; provided that

kittens and puppies under sixteen (16) weeks of age

shall not be euthanized with carbon monoxide but with

injections of denatured sodium pentobarbital, or

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 4. Animals

c.

any other method approved by the Animal Industries

Services Division of the State Department of

Agriculture which shall include current acceptable

euthanasia recommendations from the American

Veterinary Medical Association, with the exception of

curariform derivative drugs. The following

requirements must be met to ensure the euthanasia

agent is humane:

(1) the method should be as painless as possible to

the animal as determined by the best available

medical and scientific knowledge and technology,

(2) the animal should be kept as free from anxiety

and fear as possible,

(3) the technique should be:

(a) simple enough to be used by relatively

unskilled personnel,

(b) legally available to all animal shelters and

humane societies,

(c) as mechanically simple and maintenance free

as possible within reasonable cost, and

(d) physically safe for personnel using it.

B. Death should be confirmed by cessation of vital signs.

Professional judgment should be used in consideration of the animal

species and method of euthanasia to determine the means of

confirming death.

Added by Laws 1981, c. 167, § 1. Amended by Laws 2000, c. 199, § 1,

eff. Nov. 1, 2000.