Why Mushers Like Debarking

I was reading through an online mushing forum this morning and was very disheartened (but not that surprised) to see another discussion about the debarking of sled dog teams.

Debarking, or devocalization, is an invasive surgical procedure that involves removing a large amount of laryngeal tissue. It involves a great deal of pain post-operatively. Because this procedure is superfluous and inherently cruel, many veterinarians condemn and refuse to perform it (mine included).

In the United Kingdom, cosmetic mutilation such as debarking, ear cropping and declawing (of cats) are actually illegal. (source)

Taken from In Defense of Animals:

However, a problem barker is not the one at fault – we must look to the dog’s guardians for the source of the behavior. Chronic or excessive barking arises because the dog is improperly socialized or trained, or because she is stressed, hypersensitive, lonely, fearful, or frustrated. Debarking a dog does not make her any less stressed, hypersensitive, lonely, fearful, or frustrated! It is important to deal with the problem at its source, rather than turn down the volume surgically. These dogs still bark, they just don’t make much noise.

Debarking surgery is not difficult (although it does entail general anesthesia and surgical risks such as bleeding and infection), but the rate of postoperative complications is very high. Some practitioners estimate that 50% of dogs will develop problems arising from the debarking surgery. These range from merely annoying (the dog regains his ability to bark within two or three years) to life-threatening (scar tissue obstructs the dog’s airway). Correcting these complications requires more surgery, more risks, and more money. Again, this puts the dog at risk for landing in the shelter. This burdens taxpayers with the expense of dealing with yet another dog made essentially unadoptable by her guardians.

There are other serious issues concerning debarking despite the obvious pain to the dog, and in the case of sled dog mushers it’s the ability to disguise a large number of dogs on one’s property. Law enforcement, concerned neighbors, and joe public are a lot less likely to stumble upon a yard of neglected, chained huskies if the dogs have no way to make their presence known. Rather than enrich the dogs’ environment or keep fewer to provide them with more attention – some mushers simply opt for debarking as the easy way out, regardless of the long term harm inflicted upon their dogs. Most notably, a debarked sled dog is more likely to suffer from aspiration pneumonia (an already prevalent and lethal problem).

The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights states:

Debarking involves placing a dog under anesthesia and cutting the dog’s vocal cords. It is solely performed for human convenience for the purpose of noise control and provides no benefit for the dog. In fact, there is anecdotal evidence that debarking increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Since the dog’s environment and lifestyle usually are the cause for excessive barking, changing and enriching the environment and daily routine (acquiring a second dog, providing more stimulating toys and more play time with humans) should be the only resolutions for excessive barking, rather than attempting to ‘correct’ the dog with surgery.

Debarking should be outlawed for many reasons; it’s the only way to stop mushers from mutilating their dogs in order to quiet their cries for freedom.