Senator: Ban ‘Debarking’ of Dogs

Senator: Ban ‘Debarking’ of Dogs

Barking dogs may be annoying, but imagine how scary it would be if there was no warning that an angry canine is nearby.

So says a top lawmaker who has introduced a bill in the Senate to ban a procedure that removes the vocal cords from cats and dogs. The bill makes one exception: if a licensed veterinarian says it is necessary for medical reasons, an owner may have his cat or dog devocalized.

“This act is inhumane for any animal to go through. Imagine if your ability to talk was suddenly taken away from you. We must put an end to this,” said Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio, D- Providence, North Providence.

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Devocalization—commonly known as “debarking”—is a surgical procedure that leaves dogs and cats with the ability to only make a raspy of wheezy whispering noise. Besides being inhumane, the procedure can cause difficulty breathing, chronic gagging, pneumonia, and infection, according to Ruggerio.

The procedure is used by owners to silence their pets whose constant barking annoys neighbors. Some defenders of the practice say it's better than the alternative: euthanasia.

Four other states regulate ‘debarking’

Four states currently have laws regulating debarking: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

“We should follow the lead of these states and take action to protect our animals as well as the public,” Ruggerio said. “Devocalizing pets, unless it is a medically necessary thing to do, is just cruel and we need a law to regulate and control this kind of procedure.”

In Rhode Island, the Warwick City Council recently passed a devocalization ban and one is already on the books in East Providence.

Debarking has been a commonplace procedure for decades, but it is becoming increasingly unpopular among veterinarians, according to a 2010 New York Times report.

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