Drowning Is Not Euthanasia

In Fall 2002, a woman in New York called PETA to report that the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) routinely advised citizens to drown captured wild and domestic animals such as cats. As you can imagine, we were stunned to learn that state wildlife representatives direct citizens to kill wild animals and stray cats by submerging them in trash cans full of water. " Not only was the advice contrary to the applicable New York anti-cruelty statutes, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) unconditionally condemns drowning as a method of killing. In its Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia, the panel concludes, “Drowning is not a means of euthanasia and is inhumane.” Furthermore, in a paper published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin called “Drowning Is Not Euthanasia,” Ludders et al. (1999) concluded that while drowning is a convenient way to kill animals, it is not euthanasia.

By advising citizens to unjustifiably torture and kill animals by drowning, the DEC was clearly instigating citizens to engage in conduct which was illegal under state law. The terror and physical pain experienced by animals who are trapped and submerged in water is unimaginable and it is unnerving to think that in the 21st century, a state agency would advocate such cruelty. Since then, the DEC has adopted strict guidelines that prohibit employees from encouraging people to drown animals, but unfortunately, PETA continues to receive complaints from concerned individuals about state and local agencies, as well as nuisance wildlife control operators, trappers, and homeowners who drown captured animals.

What You Can Do
If you witness someone drown an animal, contact your local authorities immediately. Drowning animals—wild or domestic—is a crime. For more information on how to file a cruelty complaint, check out “If You Witness Cruelty ….”

If you discover that your state wildlife agency, local animal control bureau, or business condones or engages in drowning as a method of killing animals, please contact us.

Write a letter to your local newspaper. PETA can give you letter-writing suggestions.

Hand out PETA’s factsheet “Living in Harmony With Wildlife” to folks who may not be aware of the cruelty involved in drowning.