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A group of veterinarians and animal welfare providers in Louisiana gathered to share their opposition to the state’s decision to resume executions using nitrogen hypoxia.

Louisiana’s first execution in 15 years was set for March. However, Christopher Sepulveda died on Saturday, February 22, 2025, after 30 years on death row at the Louisiana State Prison in Angola.

The animal care providers, Veterinarians Against Gassing, gathered with signs and professional expertise to urge state lawmakers, including Governor Landry, to reconsider the state’s chosen method of execution. Members of the group expressed that they have different political ideologies and backgrounds and have differing opinions about the death penalty. However, they were all gathered to express their opposition to the method they call inhumane, which has been mostly abandoned by their industry.

Archived at https://archive.is/OE3oM

  • @pageflightEnglish
    13•13 hours ago

    TIL, I would have thought (if done correctly) you’d just pass out and then die. Though I guess altitude sickness is pretty unpleasant. Anyway, still opposed to the death penalty — too easy to be wrong, no need for state sanctioned murder in this age, etc.

    Those who administered the method, according to Greenberg, described graphic scenes that included seizures, bleeding from the nose and mouth, and other issues as the animal died. Those in attendance of the nation’s first execution by nitrogen hypoxia shared similar disturbing details after attending the execution of Kenneth Smith in Alabama earlier this year, who was the first person to die in the U.S. by administration of gas for execution.

    According to Death Penalty Info, wit­ness­es report­ed that Mr. Smith appeared awake for sev­er­al min­utes after the nitro­gen gas began. They observed that he “shook and writhed” for at least four min­utes before breath­ing heav­i­ly for anoth­er few min­utes. “This was the fifth exe­cu­tion that I’ve wit­nessed in Alabama, and I have nev­er seen such a vio­lent reac­tion to an exe­cu­tion,” said media wit­ness Lee Hedgepeth.

    • HubertManne
      6•12 hours ago

      It sorta sounds to me like its about holding the mask over them which causes distress. I would sorta be interested in how it goes if they are anesthetized and then given the nitrogen. I think one reason this is not done is its just easier to go with drugs if your going to anesthetize anyway.