American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Health Canada is warning that there will be a global shortage in euthanasia drugs for animals due to an explosion at a manufacturing plant overseas, but according to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), pet owners in Canada shouldn’t worry.
On Tuesday, Health Canada posted an alert for veterinarians, stating that they became aware earlier in 2021 that an incident at a manufacturing site would cause a global shortage of pentobarbital sodium, which is the “active ingredient used in most euthanasia products for animals,” the alert explained.
“A shortage is expected to impact the existing Canadian supply in mid-to late 2021 and continue until mid-2022,” the agency stated.
“Health Canada is working in collaboration with CAHI (Canadian Animal Health Institute), the CVMA, drug manufacturers, importers and distributors to mitigate the impact on the veterinary health system and Canadians requiring end-of-life care for their animals/pets.”
The CVMA told CTVNews.ca in an email that they had been aware of the shortage before Health Canada’s public announcement.
“Drugs shortages do occur from time to time so in that sense it was not a surprise, however given the importance of this particular drug to the welfare of animals in Canada it immediately became a matter of great concern,” the CVMA stated.
The exact products that are affected include Euthanyl, Euthanyl Forte and Dorminal, all of which are used with “dogs, cats, horses, cattle, laboratory animals and birds,” according to Health Canada. Euthanyl and Euthanyl Forte are also used with mink.
The shortage is concerning because being able to offer euthanasia is an important part of veterinary services.
“Euthanasia is an extremely important aspect of veterinary practice that allows pet parents and their veterinarian to ensure that a beloved animal has a gentle and painless end to its life,” the CVMA said. “It is (a) special privilege for veterinarians to oversee and manage the euthanasia of an animal and a responsibility that veterinarians take very seriously.”
CAHI also posted an alert about the situation in late May. They stated that the manufacturing site needed to recover from the explosion, which occurred in December 2020.
"As this manufacturing site works to restore operations, the shortage of the active ingredient is beginning to have an impact on the global supply of euthanasia products,” the release said.
Health Canada and CAHI did not provide any further details regarding the explosion. CAHI is a trade association whose members are responsible for the majority of the animal health products sold in Canada.
It asked for Canadian veterinarians to administer only the recommended amount of pentobarbital sodium, and to order only the amount of euthanasia drugs that they would need at their practice, avoiding stockpiling that could exacerbate shortage for other veterinarians.
It was advice that Health Canada and CVMA echoed.
The CVMA said that were “recommending that veterinarians conserve supplies to the extent possible and share supplies with their colleagues, in accordance with regulations, if the need arises.”
It added that it was working on guidelines for alternative methods of euthanasia that do not use pentobarbital sodium, in case alternatives are needed.
“The CVMA, through an expert advisory committee that includes veterinary pharmacists, anaesthesiologists, palliative care experts and species specialists is developing resources and guidance on products, methods and protocols that can be used as alternatives to pentobarbital sodium products for euthanasia that will be shared broadly across Canada’s veterinary health system,” they stated on their website.
The CVMA told CTVNews.ca that pet owners “shouldn’t worry” that there might not be a dignified end for their pet available.
“Existing supplies of pentobarbital are being managed prudently, alternate supplies are being sought, and veterinarians can employ alternative methods of euthanasia that are as humane and effective as pentobarbital sodium.”
Health Canada added in its statement that it is “currently assessing whether foreign authorized alternative euthanasia products could potentially be imported on a temporary basis to mitigate this shortage.”
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.