The pragmatic truth is that certain animals are unadoptable due to health and behavioral traits and that it is impossible to properly feed and house all animals received in shelters.

The responsibility for humanely euthanizing unadoptable animals falls largely on animal control and protection personnel. The Florida Animal Control Association believes most strongly that since our responsibility is so vast in this area, it is incumbent upon us perhaps more than any other group similarly involved to set the standards by which euthanasia is practiced.

It is the policy of FACA that:

1) All animals which must be euthanized by an animal control or protection agency, either in the shelter or in a field emergency, must be humanely euthanized as painlessly and as rapidly as possible, with minimum discomfort to the animal while following the mandates of FL Statutes Chapter 828.05, 828.055, 828.058 and 828.065.

2) All entities who euthanize do so in accordance with accepted animal control agency humane euthanasia procedures and the AVMA guidelines. Procedures such as drowning and bludgeoning are not considered humane methods.

3) All personnel performing euthanasia be certified in accordance with FL Statutes Chapter 828.058 utilizing the FACA curriculum, as approved by the Board of Veterinary Medicine.

4) The only routes of administration authorized for euthanasia in Florida are intravenous (IV); intracardial (IC) and intraperitoneal (IP).

5) It is highly recommended, advisable and preferred to sedate all animals prior to using intracardial (IC) injection.