[Pegasus]

I took Snoopy to PetSmart today b/c had to get official 'chicago' papers for him to have him in my appt (see other post...they kicked us out)

SO..there was a puppy beagle in the clinic, barking and howling...a beautiful sound to me b/c snoopy is so quiet....

and the girl who owned him said 'Maybe we should cut his voice box".....I got so PISSED........seriously...but I just said "it gets better'...and how "Snoopy is a rescue and we thought they cut his vocal cords" at first...b/c hs is so quiet.

NOW...I really wished I would have confronted her differently... I would have told her about this site, and how she can come here for advice.

Now ill wonder how that poor puppy beagle does.!!

 

[jtward01]

It ought to be illegal for a vet to do that sort of operation. Same goes for trimming ears and tails on dogs and de-clawing cats.

 

[angelaH]

Any vet who is willing to debark a dog is not worthy to call him/herself a vet.

 

[Letty_Monty]

i totally agree. Everyone should have their own voice. There's stories all the time about fires in a house and the dog wakes the owners up and saves them. A dog with no voice wouldn't be able to do that. I love the sound of my Monty's barks and howels. He gets so excited when i come home from work, i love our lil' chats about our day!!

 

[DreamOfGlass]

Isn't it illegal to cut vocal chordes to animals in the USA? That girl is disgusting for having thought something like this :angryfire:

 

[jcfehr]

Quote:Originally posted by A doghouse:
Any vet who is willing to debark a dog is not worthy to call him/herself a vet.

I absolutely agree !!!!!!!

 

[K & G]

Quote:Originally posted by Milla The Bee:
Isn't it illegal to cut vocal chordes to animals in the USA? That girl is disgusting for having thought something like this :angryfire:

It is in some places, but I saw a story on the news about a man who was ordered by a judge to have his dog de-barked, or to give it away because it was disturbing the neighbors. Fortunately, the man brought in enough information to convince the Judge that it was inhumane.

Hopefully the girl was just joking.

 

[brandyb]

I just don't understand how anyone could want to remove their dogs vocal cords?? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/confused.gif I love the Beagle bark!

 

[Laxmobster]

I too love the beagle howl, its the funniest sound ever! I've said before how Fin sounds like Chewbacca when he talks to me.

 

[we3beagles]

You should have come back with "I was just thinking the same thing about you". People who want their dog de-barked are not dog worthy. I would love to have a lot of people de-voiced, but apparently it is inhumane while perfectly acceptable when it applies to a dog. I walk by a little pom that was obviously debarked and when his owners are out I talk in a loud voice to my dogs and say "Don't bark back baby, you should take pity on that poor little barkless dog". They just give me a dirty look.

 

[cheerio]

May I please, please disagree with you, at least partially?

First, it is not illegall to cut the vocal cords of a dog. However, there is a much better technic which consist on tying up the cords, so that they no longer have the necessary elasticity to make a loud sound. The dog can still bark and you can hear him from outside your yard when in the house but your neighbours will not hear much of a sound.

My Goss is debarked. He was done before I got him and I was quiet upset about it. Then I have discussed the matter with a number of dog professionals among them one lady, then the president of a rescue group who explained to me that it was far less crual to the dog than to have him thrown in a shelter or rehomed time and time again because his owner was tired to pay the fine.

The truth is that most legislations provide for the complainant to decide whether the barking of their neighbour's dog constitute excessive barking or not, without any particular objective test. Having now a society which has forgotten the poetry of the calming sound of a bark in the distance (what writter did not use that in the 19th century?...) people have become less and less accepting of the pet next door. Funny enough, the welfare of animal developped in the same time..... go figure!...
Nevertheless, many have to give up their adoring dog only because they live near a cranky neighbour. Isn't it then better to consider debarking? It is after all a surgery which is far less serious than spaying and neutring. At least, it was the point of view of this lady.
I personaly still have an issue with debarking only becasue there are certain complications which can occur such as lung infections. This is rare, however, it can happen. Not has often as permanent incontinence with early spaying for exemple.. It is also true that those complications are said to be linked solely to the cutting of the vocal cords and not to tying the cords. Whether this is so, I am not sure as I could not find any studies to validate this claim.

Nevertheless, I think this lady has an opinion which, to me, makes enough sense so that I have stopped screaming at those who chose this solution and to those who agree to perform the surgery.

Just some food for thought....