The NY Assembly has passed a ban on “debarking” and now the bill goes to the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The AKC opposes A1679, which would restrict the rights of responsible dog owners to make viable, safe decisions on behalf of their pets in conjunction with their veterinarians. Last year, the bill never received a hearing in the Senate Agriculture Committee. Those who reside or participate in events in New York are encouraged to contact the Senate Agriculture Committee and ask them to once again oppose Assembly Bill 1679 and not schedule it for a hearing. To contact the committee, visit http://www.nysenate.gov/senators-committees and select “Agriculture” from the drop-down menu.
Talking Points:
There is much misinformation about the veterinary surgical procedure of debarking. Debarking actually saves dogs’ lives. It is a viable veterinary procedure that may allow a dog owner to keep a dog in its loving home rather than to be forced to euthanize or surrender it to a shelter when the pet's noisy behavior continually disrupts the community.
Debarking should only be performed under anesthesia by a qualified veterinarian after behavioral medication efforts to correct a dog’s excessive barking have failed. As with other veterinary medical decisions, the decision to debark a dog is best left to individual owners and their veterinarian, and should not be arbitrarily banned by law.
Visit the AKC Government Relations Legislative Action Center for AKC’s official position on this issue, as well as other talking points.
AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) will continue to closely monitor this legislation and provide updates as they become available. For questions or more information, contact AKC GR at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org.
The NY Assembly has passed a ban on debarking and now the bill goes to the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The AKC opposes A1679, which would restrict the rights of responsible dog owners to make viable, safe decisions on behalf of their pets in conjunction with their veterinarians.