Imagine trying to cry out in warning or excitement, but instead feeling a strangling sensation and hearing your throat rasp harshly.
This happens to countless animals every single day. Annoyed with ceaseless barking or meowing, breeders and pet owners have veterinarians surgically cut or remove the animals' vocal cords. Such procedures create serious health risks for the animal, including hemorrhaging, coughing, gagging, aspiration, trouble swallowing, and breathing problems.
Sign this petition to ban the painful surgery that, by maiming an animal's vocal chords, destroys the life it was meant to live.
Dear Ms. Carlson,
I am writing out of grave concern regarding the epidemic of ventriculocordectomy, or animal devocalization, in our country today. This painful surgery maims animals' vocal chords purely to mitigate their owners' annoyance at their barking or meowing, creating risks for hemorrhaging, coughing, gagging, aspiration, trouble swallowing and breathing problems.
This procedure should always be advocated as a last resort. Gentle behavior modification should be every pet owener's initial response to excessive barking or meowing, which can be the result of poor socialization, stress, and even boredom. The next step is to work with a trained animal specialist. Maiming an animal for life is never the answer.
Although several states have laws that limit devocalization surgery, most states do not. Currently, there is a proposed bill in Massachusetts that would ban canine devocalization except when it's "medically necessary."
Veterinarians take an oath to end animal suffering, not create more. We encourage the American Veterinary Medical Association not to wait for state laws to move forward but to do everything within its power to stop this cruel practice now.
Sincerely,
[your name here]
