In what has been deemed the “appropriate solution” by the Oregon Court of Appeals, two residents of Jackson County Oregon must have their dogs surgically debarked, following years of complaints by neighbors.
“Devocalization,” as the process is formally known as, involves the cutting, scarification, or surgical modification of an animal’s vocal cords in order to reduce the audibility of their bark (or other means of vocalizing).
Such a mandate is not being met silently. Opponents of animal devocalization equate the practice with mutilation, and argue that there are more than enough non-surgical methods to help curb noise levels.
However, such alternative methods tend to get extreme. Beyond aggressive training, these can include citronella sprays, or even shock collars, which devocalization advocates cite as being far less humane than debarking.
This is not the first time the Oregon couple's dogs have been targeted by neighbors. In April 2015, they were ordered to pay $238,000 in damages due to their sheep dogs' volume levels. In fact, they've been paying fines since as far back as 2006.
Read more at OregonLive.com