Debarking: Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Dogs

Published Nov 18, 2014

By Krista Magnifico, DVM, Special to Everyday Health

(Abbreviated blog)

In case you’ve never heard of it, debarking used to be considered a permissible and reasonable practice for vets. If a client complained of an incessantly disruptive pet, the vet would surgically remove, or damage, the dog’s vocal chords. A muffled, throaty whisper of a woof would result, like a lifelong case of laryngitis.

Why am I so opposed to debarking dogs? If it is important for us to remember that we each have our own voice and must be true to it, why isn’t the same true for the rest of our family members?

Dogs bark for many reasons, and they only bark for reasons they believe are completely justified. It’s not like singing in the shower, humming a little tune to make ourselves happy, or whistling on a sunny day. Dogs only talk with purpose and intent.

There are no stupid dogs, there are only dogs trying to tell us something. Like “beware,” “intruder,” “far-off dog barking,” “I hear a storm coming,” or “I’m bored/lonely.” Dogs talk when they need to tell us something. Muffling that voice is denying them their purpose, their protection, and their voice.

We all have a lot to say..

For my entire article on debarking please visit Everyday Health here.

Post script;
I received a few comments to this blog from veterinarians. Overwhelmingly they all felt as if they did not want to perform this procedure but thought it was an acceptable option when elected as a last resort to surrender or euthanasia. I hear the same thing from the vets who believe that declawing is acceptable if it will save a life and place a pet in a home. Do I think that anything is acceptable in the face of death? Well, I suppose that life is always more valuable than death, but I also hold all of us to a higher standard of compassion and humanity and I still see parenting as an elective choice fraught with responsibility and an expectation that you will be a better person if only because someone else depends on you to be. How is expecting someone to conform to what I expect them to be a way to honor the beauty of an individual?

Krista Magnifico, DVM, is the founder and chief creative officer of Pawbly.com, overseeing creative vision and user experience. She earned her veterinary degree from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, and has had her own practice in Northern Maryland since. She has a strong interest in animal welfare and educating and inspiring people to take better care of their companions. Follow her on Twitter @FreePetAdvice.

This article was published on Everydayhealth.com. Everyday Health is creating a pet health column for pet health and I am honored and excited to be asked to participate in their quest to provide columns to inspire, educate, and provoke their audience. Their audience is 40 million users, 50 million newsletter subscribers, and 5 million social media followers. They provide helpful, credible content on a wide assortment of health topics. Give them a peek today, check out the recipes!! (and if you find a good one could you bring me a small sample)? Thanks!

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Debark Or Argue? The Passion Behind Surrendering Your Voice

It has been a very stressful, tumultuous time here in the USA. The government is shut down, everyone is arguing, pointing fingers, bashing each other, and Facebook is riddled with "time to put big-boy pants on and.." statements. It's hard to not get caught up in the rhetoric and hysteria. Real people with real struggles are worried, and worry breeds fear, and fear, well fear brings out the worst in many of us.

Last week I was venting about a Twitter follower who posted a video of their (I think?) cat who is allowed to roam free in the city. The point of the video was to capture the cats perspective of their world with the aid of a camera mounted to its collar. I was upset about it because I believe allowing your cat to roam in the city is irresponsible. As a veterinarian I see countless cats that have been injured by fighting with other cats, attacked by dogs, shot, hit by car, and worse just plain old disappeared. I was upset so I said something to the creators of the video. I spoke out and I was met with a defensive excuse-riddled justification about "not wanting to suppress the cats natural behaviors." What about basic pet safety? And did anyone ever take a second to think about what might happen if their cat stepped in front of my car in the road? I would likely try swerve out of the way and put other people in danger.

Yesterday's Twitter angst was over a group who are trying to ban the practice of devocalization in animals. Which I am whole heartedly in agreement with. It is a barbaric inhumane practice that should never be done, or even considered. A dog barking is a dog in need of something. The bark of a dog is the precise reason we domesticated dogs to begin with. So they could notify us of impending danger. Where could there be angst between me and a group trying to end a cruel practice in our pets? Yeah? I am still asking myself. The problem? In the animal advocacy world there is an over abundance of passionate embroiled outspoken angry activists. You would think that we could all take our single individual causes and band together to speak as a force of kindness and shift the whole worlds perspective on behalf of our four legged friends. You would think? But instead we raise at fist at each other and blame each other as being a part of the problem. Why should our government work together? We individuals can't either.

Aren't we ALL seeking a more peaceful life? Are we ever going to get there by yelling, blaming, or pointing out differences with each other?

"Always be kind".. my motto, those three little words. To which I add...

“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.”
― Mahatma Gandhi