Euthanasia and depopulation in disasters
Learn about euthanasia and depopulation techniques, and appropriate disposal options, for various animal species that may be required in a disaster or animal health emergency.
This session satisfies core competency 7 of AVMA’s Veterinary First Responder Certificate Program. It originally was presented at AVMA Convention 2023.
Learning objectives:
- Learn the difference between euthanasia and depopulation.
- Describe circumstances under which depopulation might be necessary in a disaster or animal health emergency.
- Understand the lines of authority for decisions about depopulation vs. euthanasia.
Dr. Steven Leary received his DVM from Iowa State University (ISU) and completed postdoctoral training in laboratory animal medicine and comparative pathology from Johns Hopkins University. During 40 years of experience, Dr. Leary has held many leadership roles, including chief medical officer at Fidelis Pharmaceuticals, director of the animal resources program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, assistant vice chancellor for veterinary affairs at Washington University in St. Louis, president of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, and chair of the AVMA’s Animal Welfare Committee and Panels on Euthanasia, Humane Slaughter and Depopulation. He is a past recipient of the ISU Stange Award, Charles River Prize, and the American Association for Laboratory and Animal Science’s Griffin Award and Nathan R. Brewer Award.
Dr. Martin has been the North Carolina state veterinarian since 2021, after serving as the director of poultry health programs at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for four years. Previously, he was associate professor at the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine, where he was head of the poultry clinical activities and residency program. He earned his DVM and master’s degree in preventative medicine (MPVM) from the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where he also completed his residency training in poultry medicine. He is a board-certified diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians.
Dr. Neault earned his DVM from Michigan State University in 1996. He worked as a private practitioner in mixed- and small-animal practices for 13 years. In 2008, he joined the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as a manager of emergency programs, poultry health programs, and animal disease traceability. In 2015, he joined the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Division as the assistant state veterinarian and director of livestock animal health programs. Since April 2021, he has served as the South Carolina state veterinarian and director of Livestock Poultry Health at Clemson University.
Throughout his career, Dr. Neault has responded to various disaster and disease events, including chronic wasting disease; low and highly pathogenic avian influenza; pet food and animal feed contamination; Hurricanes (or Superstorm) Sandy, Matthew, Florence, and Ian; and the 2010 Enbridge Kalamazoo River oil spill. He also has participated in multiple endemic and foreign animal disease investigations.
He served two terms as the president of the National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs, and two terms on AVMA’s Committee on Disaster and Emergency Issues. In 2020 he received the United States Animal Health Association’s Administrator's Award and National Assembly Service Award.