During my time in service I too had to endure the gas chamber.

Anyone that's been through it knows the pure torture, once in you don't leave until you've taken your gas mask off and state the warriors creed. I was one of the unfortunate, with a mask one size too small and improperly sealed. It was the longest 2 minutes of my life.

The smell hits you when you first step in, as the door closes behind you a panic sets in, glancing around and being unable to see more then 2 feet in front of you. As the gas seeps into every
exposed pore, into your clothing, hair. Your eyes start burning so bad you feel like tearing them out of your head. your hands, face, ears burn as if being slowly set on fire. The ones -like me- who'd not had a proper seal, can be heard calling out, choking and gagging.

Everyone is ordered to take off their mask, say your warriors creed, the person beside you gasping and wretching grabs your arm for support, while you feel your lungs refusing to let you take that next breath. The panic can be heard through-out the small room. Finally a break, a small glimpse of sunlight, and you make a quick dash for the door, but it's not yet your turn and you get stopped midway.

you heave, you're now druling, mucus running from your nose & mouth, eyes so badly burning now. You finally get to step out into the fresh air, and it hits you like a ton of bricks, fresh air rushing into your burning chest &lungs. After 10 long minutes in the fresh air, you can finally relax a little (unless of course you're one of the bunch that hurt so badly you rub your face or eyes,..then it's even more torture) The stench stays in your
clothing for days. Several showers later you feel a little better.

Then someone comes and says "guess what,..they need volunteers to go through again." H-E-L-L NO! I would never do it again.

Anyone that works at a shelter that gasses animals has never been through it themselves. It should be a required training for places like that, that ALL employees must endure 30 seconds in the gassing chamber themselves. How many employees will there
be then? How many of these shelters will remain open? Doubtful very many, if any.

No animal should ever endure such torture, more cruelty then their abusive owners could have ever done.

PVT Eileen Beers (Lina)

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*Stokes County, NC **shelter gasses **in the back of old **dump trucks**!!!!