She Wants To End Debarking After Rescuing A Dog Whose Previous Owners Sadly Had This Procedure Done To Him
Dogs love to bark; it’s part of their nature. Barking is how they communicate with us. It alerts us to the approach of people nearing our homes and lets us know what our dogs want/need from us.
A dog’s persistent barking can even save lives. They scare intruders away, lead us to those who have gone missing, and generally just warn us when danger is imminent. There’s just so much to love about dogs!
TikToker Teresa Jack (@teresa_jack) is a loving dog mom to the cutest Corgi named Watson. She serves as his voice since his was taken from him.
She posted a viral video to TikTok to raise awareness of a cruel practice called “debarking,” and it has received over five million views.
Before Teresa rescued him, Watson’s previous owners had him “debarked.” They had received complaints about his barking from other apartment tenants, so they decided to have him undergo a debarking procedure.
Debarking, or devocalization is a surgical procedure that involves removing part of a dog’s vocal cord to reduce the volume of its barks.
It strips dogs of their natural ability to express themselves and communicate with others–dogs and humans alike. Even after undergoing this harmful surgery, Watson’s owners gave him up.
“The family made that decision two weeks before they made the inevitable decision to re-home him. So this dog lost his voice and his family within the same month. How can a creature survive after such a catastrophic loss?” said Teresa.
Since Watson no longer has the use of his voice, he is forced to resort to biting whenever he requires attention. Now, he needs to wear a muzzle in public to prevent him from accidentally harming anyone.
Yana – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual dog
After the initial video blew up, Teresa posted a follow-up video, informing TikTok users about the petition she launched to ban debarking.
She revealed that she had a meeting with her local senator to discuss what she’s calling “Watson’s Law,” which would make the practice of debarking illegal in the state of Utah.
It is legal in 48 states for housing developers to require a dog to have their voice box removed to live on the property. Maryland, Rhode Island, and New Jersey are the only states where this is prohibited.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has some methods for decreasing your dog’s barking that won’t take away their voice.
Anti-barking devices emitting high-pitched sounds, electric shock collars, and citronella spray collars help interrupt their barking and redirect their behavior.
They work to distract dogs rather than inflict pain and punishment. And it’s considered a much more humane process to dog owners than debarking.
If you want to join the fight toward ending debarking, you can sign the petition for Watson’s Law here.
@teresa_jack Sharing Watson’s Story. END DOG DEBARKING! Don’t patronize veterinarians who provide this service! His life changed forever because people made a choice that wasn’t in his best interest and then abandoned him. #dogs #veterinarian #dogsoftiktok #rescuedog #debarkingpuppies #debarking #dogdevocalization #trauma #animalshelter #doglover
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More About:Animals