Dogs communicate with the world through their voices — warning us of danger, expressing fear, excitement, and distress, and connecting with the people who love them. Yet across the United States, dogs are still subjected to a cruel and unnecessary surgical procedure that permanently takes that voice away.
The practice is called debarking (or devocalization). It involves cutting or removing tissue from a dog's vocal cords to silence them — not for medical reasons, but for human convenience.
This is not training.
This is not humane.
And it should be illegal.
Debarking can cause lifelong suffering, including chronic pain, breathing difficulties, gagging, increased risk of infection, and behavioral problems. In some cases, dogs die from complications. Even when the surgery "succeeds," the dog is left unable to communicate naturally — a profound and permanent loss.
Barking is how dogs express fear, alert their families, and interact with other animals. Silencing them does not address the root cause of barking, such as anxiety, boredom, or lack of training — it simply punishes the animal for being a dog.
Some states have already restricted or banned debarking, recognizing it as inhumane. But millions of dogs remain unprotected because there is no federal law preventing this cruelty nationwide.
That's why we are calling on Congress to pass a federal law banning the debarking of dogs, with exceptions allowed only when a licensed veterinarian determines the procedure is medically necessary to save the dog's life.
Dogs depend on us to protect them.
They cannot speak in courtrooms or write letters to lawmakers.
But we can speak up for them.
Sign this petition to urge Congress to ban the debarking of dogs across the United States — and protect every dog's right to communicate naturally.
Together, we can end this cruel practice once and for all.
