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Keane says putting an animal to sleep never gets easier for him. "I have three dogs and two cats, and I have a great love for animals. I feel when I'm putting a dog down that I try to use the same compassion that I have as if I was putting my own animal down," he says.
When it comes time, dogs are individually taken into the euthanasia lab. After the dog is muzzled for safety reasons, Keane injects them with a dosage of Fatal Plus or sodium Phenobarbital, based on their weight. In all, the process takes three to five minutes. The dog's body is put in a body bag and placed inside a freezer until the next morning, when a service will take it to a landfill.
On the day Oprah Show cameras shadowed Keane, 18 dogs were on the list to be euthanized. But three dogs were saved—they were adopted by Harpo staff members working on the show. "They say their minds were changed about wanting brand new puppies," Oprah says.
See more furry members of the Harpo family.
Fort Worth is also working on reducing the number of animals being euthanized. Starting in the summer of 2008, Fort Worth shelter will offer free spaying and neutering to all animals adopted from their facility.
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