As you may have read in the news, there is currently a woman hospitalized in Tennessee after the state failed to execute her at a prison. The state reportedly used numerous needles over the course of an hour, trying to place two IV lines, then injected her with pentobarbital. She remained conscious and reportedly asked if it was normal to experience severe pain in the arm. After that first injection failed to kill her, the state administered a second injection of the same drug, per protocol, which likewise failed. The state’s execution protocol reportedly ends there. With no further instructions to follow, a death warrant that expired at midnight and the woman being a prisoner with a right to healthcare access, an ambulance was called an hour later and she was transported to a hospital for lifesaving care.
This news has raised some concerns among pet owners, especially since pentobarbital is commonly used to euthanize pets. Some have wondered if their pets have experienced pain during the euthanasia process and whether pentobarbital is an effective drug to accomplish euthanasia. The short answer, to the best of my knowledge (and I am not a veterinarian), is that the pets we have euthanized have not experienced pain and pentobarbital is still safe to use in the euthanasia process.
The longer answer is more detailed and may not be suitable for sensitive readers. Basically, there are significant differences between the process utilized to put our pets to sleep and the process used to execute people in prison. Those differences fall into two categories: personnel and protocols.
In the case of pets, the person performing the euthanasia is usually a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. The veterinarian has received training, in school and in actual practice, in placing an IV line and euthanasia. The vet also has experience, probably on a daily basis, performing these duties. For prison executions, each state determines what personnel will make up the execution team. Professional medical associations do not want their members participating in executions for many reasons, including the violation of the “do no harm” ethic. As such, there may not be a medical professional involved in an execution and the people placing the IV lines and administering the pentobarbital may not have adequate training or experience. States maintain extensive secrecy around the personnel on the execution team.
The protocol for euthanizing pets includes the administration of a drug to relax and sedate the individual prior to the injection of pentobarbital. In executions, there are no drugs administered prior to the pentobarbital. Unlike our pets, who are sedated before the pentobarbital is injected, people being executed are entirely conscious. If the placement of the IV line was botched or the drug was formulated improperly or the administration was compromised, the person experiences the painful effects of having an alkaline substance injected into his body.
All drugs administered in the euthanasia process are purchased by someone with a veterinary license from a reputable company. Execution protocols, as previously noted, vary by state and are designed to prevent the public from knowing where the pentobarbital was purchased, how it was formulated, when it expires or any other information. Furthermore, no drug manufacturers are willing to sell to prisons as they don’t want their drugs used to kill people. States must rely on alternative sources for their execution drugs and efficacy may be questionable.
These are the basic details as I understand them. If you have an interest in learning more, I’ll include a couple of links below. If you have any questions, please feel welcome to ask and I will do my best to find an answer.
Additional information:
Essay from a doctor who has studied lethal injection executions
A conversation with a veterinarian about the euthanasia process in pets (video but there are no disturbing images, just two people talking)
