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Surrendered To A Failed System, Left Alone To Suffer And Die
Chai was surrendered on June 4th, 2024, to Columbus Animal Care & Control Center (CACC) in Columbus, Georgia, and described as affectionate, playful and good with everyone: cats, dogs, men, women, kids and strangers.
The reason listed for her surrender was 'no room', and just two weeks later the sheltering system that should have been Chai's safety net while she awaited her new family instead killed her along with 11 other dogs for space.
But as the public later learned, Chai's death was anything but humane. Through video (click here, extremely sensitive content warning) obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act, the horrific reality of Chai suffering at least six IV injection attempts and ultimately a 'heart stick' (intracardiac injection) before being left alone to die on the kennel floor was seen in shocking and unforgettable detail. The resulting public outrage grew to attract national attention and Columbus Council voted for an investigation of CACC by the Columbus Police Department.
The same staff and management present during Chai's killing were not placed on leave and no additional oversight was put in place. The community is asking for your help to:
Hold management and staff of CACC accountable by urging Council to place them on IMMEDIATE administrative leave
Urge anyone with information pertinent to the investigation to contact the Columbus Police Department at 706-225-3400
How you can help
Join the voices demanding Justice For Chai through reform and accountability at Columbus Animal Care & Control Center in Columbus, Georgia.
We'll send updates along with ways to help, like:
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Sending emails
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Handing out flyers at local events
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Speaking at Columbus Council
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Sharing on social media platforms
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And if you'd like to help spread awareness by wearing a 'Justice For Chai' shirt, please click the button below - they're priced at cost and shipped directly to you.​
Video - Extremely sensitive content warning
Below is the video footage of Chai - please be advised it includes the entire timeframe. It can't be seen from this camera angle in the video below, but Chai wagged her tail even as she was being injected with the first syringe.
At the beginning of the video, two CACC employees administer the first injection, appearing to try first the right leg and then the left using the same syringe. It is unclear whether any tranquilizer was used. Immediately, Chai gets up, almost knocks over a chair, walks at least 10 feet away from the original area, and continues to struggle while being held down by a CACC staff member.
A CACC staff member makes at least four more attempts at IV injection: 1 minute into the video, 8 minutes in, 10 minutes in, 13 minutes in. Finally, the employee gets another syringe and does an intra-cardial (IC) injection -- known as a "heart stick." She then gets up and leaves Chai alone while she is still alive. Chai lies on the floor alone with the syringe sticking out of her side, the syringe visibly moving several times.
Employees step over her carrying brooms and mops. At timestamp 13:36, the syringe sticking out of her body begins moving frantically. In the following minutes, the syringe continues to move periodically as employees step over her. Employees walk multiple dogs on leashes past Chai while she lies dying on the floor, a cart full of dead dogs waiting a few yards away. Employees pull a hose around her body. At 37 minutes in, an employee removes the syringe from Chai. Another employee walks a dog past her body. No employee ever uses a stethoscope to confirm death.
At 39 minutes in, an employee struggles to pull a heavy cart full of dead dogs closer to Chai. That employee and another staff member pick up Chai by the legs and throw her into the cart. At 40 minutes in, two employees remove another dead dog from a run, carry the dog past a row of runs as living dogs look on, and toss that dog's body in the cart next to Chai's. At 42 minutes in, CACC manager Canita Hardnett-Johnson comes around the corner, stops, looks at the cart full of dead dogs for several seconds, then walks away. The cart is wheeled away.
On the euthanasia form, which staff are required by law to fill out accurately, the method of euthanasia is listed as "IV" NOT IC (heart stick). It is illegal to falsify these records. The form, which, again, staff are required by law to fill out truthfully and accurately, states that 2cc's of tranquilizer were used on Chai. The form, which, again, staff are required by law to fill out truthfully and accurately, states that 8 cc's of FatalPlus were used, which is the standard amount for Chai's estimated* weight of 80 pounds (1cc per 10 pounds.) Remember, at least FIVE syringes full of FatalPlus were used on Chai, as seen in this video.
*CACC staff appear to be estimating weights rather than using an accurate weight for each animal, despite Friends of Columbus Animal Care & Control months ago having purchased a scale for them to use to get accurate weights.
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Visit Columbus Animal Allies
Columbus Animal Allies is where it all started - a small group of people who wanted to see change happen. The outrage over what was done to Chai has galvanized the community and drawn the attention of those who love animals nationwide. Chai's page is for everyone to learn and join in support of holding staff and management accountable. Visit the CAA site and join us in our efforts to reform Columbus Animal Care & Control Center so that each animal who enters is given the best chance to live his or her one life.