'Barking is normal canine behaviour': B.C. SPCA calls for ban on debarking

After putting an end to the practices of declawing in cats, and ear cropping and tail docking in dogs, the B.C. SPCA is now calling on the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia to enact a similar ban on the devocalization of dogs.

The B.C. SPCA said canine devocalization — also known as debarking — involves surgery to access the tissues through the mouth or directly through the larynx to "partially or fully remove a dog's vocal cords to muffle or eliminate barking."

Dr. Adrian Walton, a veterinarian at Dewdney Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge, told CTV News Vancouver that while debarking used to be a more common practice, most newer vets will refuse to do it.

"There are two surgical approaches, one that can be done by any veterinarian, and it has a high failure rate where scar tissue eventually returns and the dog being able to bark, albeit at a different frequency," said Walton.

"The second is more effective but you really have to be a board-certified surgeon to do it. Though some will, ethically it's a major problem. It takes away a dog's ability to communicate."

The B.C. SPCA said it has spent more than two decades speaking out in disagreement of the practice as it impacts a dog's ability to "express natural behaviours."

"Barking is normal canine behaviour," said the B.C. SPCA's senior manager of animal health Dr. Emilia Gordon in a news release. "Devocalization deprives dogs of an important form of communication."

Gordon added that devocalization also fails to address the underlying reasons why dogs bark in the first place and dogs that undergo the procedure are still motivated to bark as a result.

"In some cases dogs are put through the surgery only to have their vocal cord tissues re-grow and their ability to bark return to near-normal levels," said Gordon.

The animal welfare organization said even if the procedure is successful at preventing barking, there are many complications involved.

Some short-term side-effects include bleeding, swelling, infection, coughing and gagging, while long-term complications include chronic coughing or gagging, aspiration pneumonia, respiratory distress, exercise intolerance, heat intolerance, and airway narrowing and scarring.

The practice has been banned in both Alberta and Nova Scotia and may soon be banned in Quebec as well, the B.C. SPCA said.

Debarking is also prohibited in several American states, as well as the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.

The B.C. SPCA is asking the CVBC to enact a bylaw ban on canine devocalization before their meeting set to take place April 29.

"B.C. veterinarians have collectively taken a stand on similar animal welfare issues in the past," said Gordon. "A decision by the CVBC to make canine devocalization an unethical practice of veterinary medicine would be a significant step forward in the humane treatment of animals in B.C."

A ban on the declawing of cats was implemented at the CVBC back in 2018, unless it is necessary as an appropriate medical therapy.

Ear cropping and tail docking in dogs for cosmetic purposes was also banned at the CVBC, in 2016. However, the procedure can still be completed if it's to treat injury or disease, the B.C. SPCA said.

The B.C. SPCA recommends that people who are concerned about their dog's excessive barking speak to their veterinarian or seek the services of a dog trainer to determine the cause of the issue, which could be related to boredom or separation anxiety.