Debarking and Devoicing Cats and Dogs: A Travesty for Pets

Published July 14, 2009

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July 14 is a special day for me. It's my birthday! I felt it would be fitting to make one heartfelt wish to celebrate my special event! I fervently wish that all people around the world would take a moment to really appreciate all the amazing animals that grace our planet, and make a vow to never do anything to harm them. I invite everyone to join me in my wish as well. Today, July 14, 2009, a special hearing will be held in Massachusetts to learn if HB 344, a bill introduced to prohibit the devocalization of dogs and cats will move forward to possibly be added to Massachusetts's existing state animal protection law. While there is a loophole in the proposed bill that permits this surgery to devocalize a dog or cat if there is a medical condition for which this surgery is needed, (and I cannot for the life of me imagine what condition would call for this very inhumane procedure). Breaking the law would put the practitioner at risk of punishment for up to 5 years imprisonment, and/or a fine of $2500. Needham High School student, Jordan Star, is the "earth angel" that inspired this bill. After meeting a dog that had been devocalized, she was so moved by what she thought was morally wrong, and was motivated strongly to take action to make an impact to protect dogs and cats. Democratic House Majority Whip Lida E. Harkins and Republican Senator Scott P. Brown reached across the aisle in a truly bi-partisan manner, to co-sponsor the bill. Should the bill pass, it will be named "Logan's Law". Logan, a Belgian Sheepdog was devocalized and then abandoned. Logan was adopted by Tom and Gayle Fitzpatrick. Gayle is the founder of the Friends of the Plymouth Pound, "a shelter that is "a tax-exempt, non-profit group dedicated to the rescue and adoption of abandoned cats and dogs on the South Shore of Massachusetts". Both the ASPCA and The Humane Society of the United States are supporters of this pending bill. The American Animal Hospital Association, the American Veterinary Association and the ASPCA all feel strongly that devocalization surgery should only be performed as a last resort. My personal feeling is that this procedure should be banned completely. It is not only a risky and dangerous surgery, which can cause infections and may result in hemorrhaging or aspiration pneumonia. This surgery is banned completely in the United Kingdom, as is declawing, and docking tails and cosmetic surgery on ears in dogs. Dogs and cats must be able to verbally communicate, not only to others of their species, but to all animals and, of course, to their human caretakers. If they have no voice, how will they be able "tell us" how they feel or to warn us of impending dangers? We all have read anecdotal stories about how cats have warned their caretakers, possibly saving their lives and of course we have all experienced a barking dog announcing a stranger on the premises, or even alerting their person to a serious threat. With compassionate, patient training and understanding about what motivates dogs and cats to "vocalize" excessively, we better understand them. Will you join me in my birthday wish? Leave a comment and let us know.

Jo Singer

Shortly after retiring as a social worker and psychotherapist, I discovered my "writer's voice"…

Filed Under: News & Blogs, Trouble Sniffer
Tags: Dogs, cats, debarking, dog

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Comments (3)

SummerSerinity (Unverified)

Added 03-16-2011 09:44am

I agree that bobbing off tails or ears is just horrible. But I also agree that these debarking or declawing proceedures should not be made blanketly illegal either. I have owned several cats in my life and have never had them declawed. However I had a friend whos cat was so destructive (despite her efforts) that it made sense, and how the cat happily paws everthing in sight, seemingly happy that she is now not always in trouble. Second, about the dogs. I have a minature schnauzer (sp) that I rescued after being abandonded. He is the sweetest thing and could not understand why anyone would abandon just a sweetheart. Well, on monday when I went to work, I figured it out. He barks constantly when alone. (the presence of another dog does not help) it must be a human. I understand that if someone was in an apartment they could not have that going on all day. Luckly I have a rather large home and did not have the neighbors complaining which gave me time to work on the issue. I tried everything, the TV, a safe kennel, another dog. So in desperation I bought a shock collar. Guess what, he got shocked 3 times and ... no more continous barking. It was a miracle. It was a bad habit, broken. Granted that is not as severe as having him debarked, but it still felt bad. Now he is a loving member of our family that knows that when we leave for the day to just pull up a couch, and we'll be back. He does bark when he wants something or sees another dog. But no more barking "all day long". I really think he is happier. it cant be restful to "bark" all day. I understand that for some animals to live with humans, sometimes, measures are sometimes unpleasant, but if left as the last resort. Often necessary.

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s (Unverified)

Added 01-14-2011 07:53am

I have two sibling miniature daschunts who are barkers. They were shelter rescues and had lived alone (but together) in a shelter for 18 months prior to coming home. They have/had always been seriously unhappy apart and the shelter would only let them be adopted by someone who kept them together. They would savagely attack any dog whom they met. Not only were they not housebroken (and they still are not housebroken, but they had CP and slightly weak hind legs. It took me over a year to get them exercised up to where they would stop wetting their own beds. We work during the day, and so we had them in the kitchen, (easily cleaned floor) with a petdoor leading to the garage and another leading from the garage to a fenced side yard where they could run around. They were terrible barkers, and after a man moved in next door who worked at home as a telephone salesman, and liked to sit on his deck (next to our fence) making his calls we started getting visits from the police. The fine per repeat citation (barking more than 15 minutes) was $500 dollars. The dogs chewed bark collars off of each other, and learned to bark through the five ultrasonic devices we hung around the yard. Bark surgery quite literally, saved their lives. Who is going to adopt incontinent dogs who attack chickens and other dogs, no matter how sweet and affectionate they are with humans? If it hadn't worked, we would have had to put them down. We would not have sent them to a shelter again; heck when we are gone we get an inhome sitter because they tolerate change very poorly.

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Stephanie (Unverified)

Added 12-09-2010 09:41am

Such a judgmental crowd here. And so quick to jump to the conclusion that your sense of what must be 'horrible' is the same to a dog. I bet each of you have absolutely perfect children who never act up at school, scream or beat up their siblings either? I doubt it. Well let me ask you this - if your children did any of these minor transgressions of not being perfect - would you be asked to make a choice of being evicted or giving them away? No, but many dog owners in similar situations are given this exact choice, and many end up having to go the debarking route. My husband and I fretfully started calling vets asking about this procedure after spending three years trying every behavioral modification trick in the book to stop our dog from barking when we left in the morning - and were subsequently being faced with eviction. Or, you know, getting rid of our dog which was not an option. Several vets explained that if you do the procedure properly, it means not going through the mouth with a punch but cutting a 2-inch incision in the throat and reducing the tissue surrounding the cords. That means the sound isn't 'channeled' as much into a sharp pitch, but the dog still barks, and the bark feels the same. Our dog is just very vocal and looks out the window jovially barking at squirrels or cats during the day. Now he does so gleefully and without reproach, and we no longer losing sleep over whether we are going to end up living in our car with the dog. Of course, this story is probably lost on this holier-than-thou self-righteous perfect crowd here - all of whom I'm sure probably have perfect dogs who NEVER act up. And all of whom have NEVER had to make a choice like this. So I digress ...