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Fifteen-year-old Bostonian Jordan Star has emerged as the surprise driving force behind a bill to ban the cruel practice of ‘surgically silencing’ cats and dogs by removing their vocal cords.
Star, a freshman at Needham High, decided to take action after coming across a dog that had been debarked and abandoned. “It was just horrible,” he said of the dog’s struggle to get his attention. “It was just like a hoarse, wheezy cough. In a shelter, all they are is a mutilated animal, which makes them harder to adopt.”
Now his proposed law has won the backing of Democratic House Majority Whip Lida E. Harkins and Republican Sen. Scott P. Brown. If successful, the bill would make devocalization illegal in Massachusetts unless a licensed state veterinarian or Boston police commissioner deemed that the operation was a medical necessity.
If enacted, it will be known as Logan’s Law after a debarked Belgian sheepdog adopted by Gayle Fitzpatrick and her husband Tom. According to Fitzpatrick, “The reaction of people whenever he (Logan) was outside was, ‘Does your dog have laryngitis?’ I tried to explain he had no voice box and people were pretty horrified by that. We always said to him, ‘We hear you,’ because he tried so hard to bark.”
Certified trainer Vera Wilkinson of The Cooperative Dog explained that the most humane way to deal with ‘problem’ barking dogs is to understand underlying behavioral issues saying, “You have to get to the root of the problem. If the dog is barking, the dog is barking for a reason. There’s a lack of understanding between people and dogs that leads to conflict, and unfortunately the dog often pays the price.”
For young Jordan Star the solution is even more clear-cut. “To take a voice away from an animal is morally wrong,” he said.
Image Credit – tarentula_in via flickr on a Creative Commons license
Training is always the first thing that should be done. Sometimes nothing works, when that happens bark softening may be the only alternative left to save the dog and the neighbors.
Bark softening is a minor procedure. It properly involves a simple biopsy punch in the vocal chords. Vocal chords are not removed. The dog is not “mutilated” and it is up and barking within hours. The dog can bark, whine, and vocalize, just more softly.
Bark softening is not cruel. The procedure is done under anesthesia. While spay and neuter are major surgeries, debark is a minor surgery. Dogs recover quickly
I have had shelties for the past 30 years. Shelties love to bark and interact with everything. I purchased a young sheltie that had already been debarked. She had no problems at all barking…it was just a softer sounding bark. Her bark was not at all wheezy, horse sounding, or labored. We have since debarked 3 other shelties. The debark procedure was done under anesthesia comfortably and the dogs went home 4 hours after the procedure. The dogs did not appear to be bothered by the surgery at all…they ate full dinners and were back to running and playing the same day. We have never had any problems with any of the dogs that we have debarked. They still bark all the time…but it is a softer sounding bark and it does not bother our neighbors.
We know of people, who own beagles and schnauzers that bark all the time. The dogs are put outside at 6am by their owners and are allowed to bark all day long. Their owners go to work early in the morning while the dogs run the fence and BARK at everything ALL DAY LONG. Their constant barking is very annoying and disturbing. The police do nothing about the noise…I know several neighbors who have complained yet nothing is done.
The vocal cords are NOT removed…they are snipped. The dogs CAN and DO bark…it is just softer and the voice does not carry quite as far. I have several bark-softened dogs….I can recognize each and every dog by its bark, surgery or no surgery and I can hear them. They don’t know they are not making noise at all. My dogs have NEVER had a problem with it, and my neighbors are very appreciative. And training is not a perfect answer for some dogs who are very vocal….I’d rather have a bark-softened dog that can bark at the squirrels to their heart’s content than be constantly scolded, or I think worse, is the shock collar.
Fewer dogs might be seized and surrendered if people made responsible choices in choosing pets. Maybe it’s not a great idea to buy a noisy breed if you live in a crowded urban area.
I’m just going to respectfully throw in my 2 cents. I’m an opera singer and I have a detailed understanding of the vocal folds (dogs aren’t very different). When you make a cut or a puncture in the vocal fold, you are allowing air to pass through that otherwise would not. Think of someone who has a sore throat or nodes and a breathy sound – their volume is naturally decreased because of the air passing through their swollen folds (swelling can let extra air pass as well).
This is does affect the health of the vocal mechanism. Extra air dries the outer layer, the mucosa, of the vocal folds causing them to be more easily irritated and damaged. In human cases, this can result in vocal nodules, swelling and ruptured veins which can then lead to more, possibly permanent, damage.
Having had dogs that love to bark (beagles, anyone?), I understand the frustration one can have with their incessant noise. But, finding the reason for the barking and engaging in proper and consistent training can alleviate the situation.
You people have not been told the truth.
Bark softening saves dogs lives in some cases.
I do rescue and debarking has helped a half a dozen people this past year to be able to keep their dogs instead of them being turned into and killed in shelters.
Debarking is an easy procedure through the mouth, like a tonsilectomy for a child. The vocal cord is “notched” just enough to quiet the bark. We do not rip the vocal cords out!!! The dogs can still bark they just are not as loud as if not debarked. They are happy animals afterwards because they can run and chase squirrels and bark their heads off and not be bothering the neighbors.
Darla Duffey
Debarking (more appropriately called, Bark Softening) is a simple procedure done under light anethestic. The dogs recover nearly immediately. They do still have a voice, it is just quieter. I own multiple Shelties, that rejoice in barking at the world in general. Out of respect for my neighbors, I have had them Debarked. They can make their joyful noise and my neighbors can live in peace. Many complaints to Animal Control are noise related. Debarking offers an option to keep noisy dogs in their homes rather then having them turned into a Shelter.
I have had shelties for over 20 years. Shelties bark at everything and anything and they have a very shrill bark. They are happy dogs who love to bark.
I have had their barks “softened” surgically for many years. The surgeon does not “remove the voice box”. The surgeon uses a biopsy punch and takes a tiny notch out of the flaps of skin that the area vibrates against. It is a simple surgery and the dogs eat happily the same afternoon they have the procedure done. I always use a vet who has done thousands of bark softening.
The dogs can still be heard. They are happy. I do not have to yell at them so they don’t disturb anyone. They can still whine and cry. I feel it is much more humane than a electric shock collar which hurts them each time they bark. It is also more humane than spraying citronella in their faces.
Shelties aren’t barking because they have a problem. They are barking because it is in their heritage to be alert little dogs who bark at everything. They are wonderful intelligent dogs and the barking is the only downside to this wonderful breed.
Many dogs will be euthanized or surrendered to shelters if bark softening is not allowed. People can be much to quick to be negative to something they don’t understand. As dogs become very old, their barks can be softer. This is what it sounds like to me.
My dogs don’t wheeze. Perhaps this dog would wheeze even if he didn’t have his bark softened. Perhaps the veterinarian didn’t have the experience to do the procedure properly.
Just as we wouldn’t go to a dentist for hip replacement surgery, it is important to find a veterinarian who is experienced with the procedure even if it is a very simple procedure.
Please make sure you make it clear what the difference is between the total removal of the vocal cords and a bark softening (aka de-bark). A bark softening is a small cut in the vocal cords – it is NOT the removal of the vocal cords. A bark softened dog can and does still bark. The volume is simply less.
There are some breeds that bark at everything and anything. It’s what they were bred to do. Shelties are a perfect example. They bark because a leaf falls, a branch moves, an airplane flies over….just to let you know that “it happened”. If you have more than two shelties, I defy anyone to teach them NOT to bark. If one starts, they all bark. Bark softening is a wonderful way to let them bark all they want, without bothering anyone. Too many end up in shelters because owners can’t deal with the barking. Having this tool helps save many a “barker” from being put down. When a qualified vet does this procedure, it is a quick and easy surgery. The dog is back home within a couple of hours and is happy and shows no signs of discomfort. They can bark all they want to – they have no idea they aren’t making as much noise. They can exhibit all the same sounds of emotion as a non-bark softened dog – it’s just much quieter. And the neighbors aren’t complaining.
I realize that this is an emotional issue but I ask that you allow me to correct the misconceptions that seem to be running rampant in this article. Debarking is a poor term for this procedure. Those of us who have dogs that have had this done more accurately call it bark softening or alterbarking. The important thing that people need to understand is that the dog’s vocal folds are not removed/cut out and the surgery is very minor and results in a softer bark, not silence. The dog is anesthetized and a small hole is made in either side of the vocal fold using a biopsy punch or cautery tool. This takes less than 10 minutes. The dog recovers from anesthesia and goes home. Amazingly, they can still bark, just not as loudly. While this isn’t for the person who just can’t be bothered training their dog, it is of vast benefit to those who have dogs that simply don’t respond to the usual training methods. It certainly is more humane than having a dog wear a collar that causes a shock to be delivered every time that dog barks. For those who might condemn me for advocating such a procedure, I urge you to walk the aisles of your local shelters and see the dogs that have been surrendered because they bark too much. More daunting is the thought of all the dogs that may end up euthanized because this simple procedure is so misunderstood and/or misrepresented that it ends up illegal. I love dogs… all dogs. I would never allow my dogs to be mistreated or force any type of cruel procedure on them. And my dogs are “bark softened.” I don’t have to holler “Hush” all day long at my dogs (a herding breed that is genetically programmed to voice their opinion at every opportunity) and my neighbors don’t have to listen to me hollering OR the dogs barking. Thank you for allowing me to present a differing opinion.
Thanks Michael – glad you liked the post!
Great story Andrew. Thanks. This post inspired me to follow this issue. I previously knew very little about it.