New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 16 - OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING › Chapter 24 - SHELTERING PROVIDERS › Part 3 - DUTIES OF LICENSEES AND CERTIFICATE HOLDERS › Section 16.24.3.14 - EUTHANASIA BY CARBON DIOXIDE GAS

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
A.
				Euthanasia by carbon dioxide gas is illegal for use on dogs and cats.
B. Carbon dioxide may be used for the
				euthanasia of animals, excluding dogs and cats, that may present a zoonotic
				hazard.
C. Operations and equipment
				shall be in compliance with any applicable state and federal regulations and
				may be inspected annually or as required by the board. Inspections must be
				performed by board trained inspectors.
D. Acceptable gas is limited to commercially
				compressed carbon dioxide gas.
E.
				If the chamber is manufactured to euthanize only one animal at a time, no more
				than one animal at a time may be euthanized in that chamber.
F. If the chamber is designed to euthanize
				more than one animal at a time there shall be independent sections or cages to
				separate individual animals. If separation partitions are not used under
				specific circumstances approved by the board, the specific circumstances shall
				be noted on the animal's disposition card. Only animals of the same species
				shall be placed in the chamber simultaneously with no more than the maximum
				recommended by the manufacturer.
G.
				Carbon dioxide should enter the chamber at a rate that displaces twenty percent
				of the oxygen each minute.
H. The
				optimal carbon dioxide flow for the chamber must be calculated.
I. No live animal shall be placed in the
				chamber with a dead animal.
J.
				Euthanasia of this type shall be performed in a commercially manufactured
				carbon dioxide chamber or one manufactured to commercial standards and the
				manufacturer's operating and services instructions shall be strictly
				followed.
K. The chamber shall be
				located outdoors or in a well-ventilated room to minimize exposure to the
				carbon dioxide.
L. The chamber must
				not be airtight. Air must be able to escape to leave room for the carbon
				dioxide. A vent hole near the top of the chamber or a loosely-fitted lid will
				let out the air but not the carbon dioxide. The vent hole will also prevent
				pressure buildup.
M. The carbon
				dioxide chamber shall have a view-port to allow visual surveillance of the
				animals within the chamber.
N. All
				chamber equipment shall be in proper working order and used according to the
				manufacturer's specifications during the operation of the chamber.
O. The chamber shall be thoroughly cleaned
				and aired out between uses. Chamber surfaces shall be constructed and
				maintained so they are impervious to moisture and can be readily
				sanitized.
P. The euthanasia agency
				shall prominently display the operation, maintenance, and safety instructions
				for the carbon dioxide chamber in the area containing the chamber.
Q. Euthanasia technicians shall verify death
				by a combination of ascertaining the absence of ocular reflexes as well as the
				cessation of heartbeat or by observing the onset of rigor mortis or other
				methods established by the board approved euthanasia technician training
				courses, prior to remains storage and disposal.