The Virginia Senate has approved a bill to ban “debarking” – a standard veterinary practice also known as bark softening – except when such procedure is necessary to treat or relieve any injury, disease, or congenital defect that is causing or may cause the dog physical pain or harm.
Senate Bill 707 banning “debarking” now goes to the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee (ACNR). Virginia residents are strongly encouraged to contact both members of the ACNR Committee and your member of the Virginia House of Delegates. To contact members of the ACNR Committee, click here and then click on the committee members name under Membership. To contact your local Delegate, visit AKC’s Legislative Action Center at www.akcgr.org and click on the “Find Your Elected Officials” box on the home page.
Talking Points:
The AKC agrees that this procedure should only be performed by licensed veterinarians. The AKC opposes the portion which would restrict the rights of responsible dog owners to make viable, safe decisions on behalf of their pets in conjunction with their veterinarians.
Debarking, or “bark softening” is a veterinary procedure that humanely softens a dog’s bark. The dog may still bark, but at a softer volume. When performed correctly by a licensed veterinarian, the procedure is non-invasive, takes just a couple minutes to perform, and has no lasting negative effects. In certain circumstances, this procedure could be the difference between the dog being sent to a shelter or staying in a loving home when all other training attempts have failed.
Debarking should only be performed by a qualified veterinarian after behavioral 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 veterinarians.
Visit AKC’s Key Issues page in our Legislative Action Center for more talking points and information on this issue.
AKC GR along with our partner the Virginia Federation of Dog Clubs and Breeders continues to monitor the Virginia General Assembly for bills impacting responsible dog owners and breeders.