Acceptable methods of euthanasia for cold-blooded vertebrates include placing them in the freezer.

Acceptable methods of euthanasia for cold-blooded vertebrates include placing them in the freezer.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only if above freezing
• D. Not recommended but allowed

Answer: (B)

Freezing does not meet humane euthanasia standards for cold-blooded vertebrates. Euthanasia should produce rapid loss of consciousness followed by death with minimal distress. Cooling animals to freezing can be slow and inconsistent, may cause distress during the chill, and does not guarantee death—some animals may survive or awaken. It can also cause tissue damage and isn’t reliably humane. The recommended approach uses an approved method, such as a chemical overdose with a suitable anesthetic (for example, buffered MS-222 for fish and amphibians) or other euthanasia methods described in veterinary or wildlife guidelines, rather than placing the animal in a freezer.

Freezing does not meet humane euthanasia standards for cold-blooded vertebrates. Euthanasia should produce rapid loss of consciousness followed by death with minimal distress. Cooling animals to freezing can be slow and inconsistent, may cause distress during the chill, and does not guarantee death—some animals may survive or awaken. It can also cause tissue damage and isn’t reliably humane. The recommended approach uses an approved method, such as a chemical overdose with a suitable anesthetic (for example, buffered MS-222 for fish and amphibians) or other euthanasia methods described in veterinary or wildlife guidelines, rather than placing the animal in a freezer.