Declawing Cats and Debarking Dogs...

I question the claim that the majority of pet owners oppose “debarking”. I wonder what the results would have been if the poll had been conducted at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show held in NYC this past Monday and Tuesday. The interesting thing about a poll is one can manipulate the results by wording the question in a specific way. Since the poll described “debarking” as removal of a dog’s vocal cords, it manipulated the responses of those who don’t know that this is inaccurate in most cases. The surgery is quick, relative safe and does not leave a dog unable to bark… it merely reduces the volume and or pitch. Dogs can still bark and Australian researchers reported that bark softened dogs can be heard at distances of up to 65 feet.

The surgery involves the vet anesthetizing the dog and going down the throat to make 1-2 small notches in the dog’s vocal folds. There are few complications; far fewer than dogs face when they undergo spay or neuter surgery and with far less inherent health risks as a result.

Bark softening should not be a first response to a dog that barks excessively. But banning the procedure would place those dogs who do not respond to conventional training at risk of abandonment or euthanasia when owners are faced with complaints from neighbors, landlords or the police because of their barking dog(s).

The opposition to bark softening has been spearheaded by animal rights groups such as the Humane Society of the United States, as evidenced by the proliferation of misinformation and blatant lies in the media about this procedure. Shame on the Associated Press for allowing themselves to be lead around on a choke collar.