The process of devocalization in companion dogs (also known as “debarking”) is a horrendous practice that most veterinarians see as unethical and inhumane. Even though many veterinarians refuse to perform the procedure, there are still plenty that will do this sick surgery upon request. Devocalization is a surgical procedure performed on dogs, where tissue is removed from the animal's vocal cords to permanently reduce the volume of its vocalizations.

Example of a debarked dog

Since Husky Halfway House opened in 2019, we have rescued hundreds of Siberian Husky dogs. We have seen so much cruelty and abuse. But we have never seen this kind of cruelty. Selene & Sonja are two beautiful Siberian Huskies who were robbed of their voices. We rescued them in January 2022 and they deserve justice. They will never get to howl or talk their true husky language. They were subjected to a cruel and barbaric form of behavioral modification that causes more harm than good for canines as a whole.

Shirts to support the cause can be purchased here: https://www.bonfire.com/voice-for-the-voiceless-h3/
You can also donate monthly to our 501c3 nonprofit husky rescue here: www.patreon.com/huskyhalfwayhouse

Barking is a normal canine behavior. It is their means of communication. Dogs may bark in play, as a greeting, as a warning, to gain attention, and while working. Without their ability to bark, dogs lose one of their only means of communication, not just with other dogs, but the world around them.

Per the Humane Society website, debarked dogs are at risk for a host of physical and behavioral problems, including:

* Compromised health with possible increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, breathing difficulties, exercise intolerance, chronic coughing or gagging, etc.
* Increased risk of compromised airway access during future surgeries
* Increased risk of threats to physical safety because of the inability to ward off threats by vocalizing and alert others to threats or dangers
* Increased level of stress, contributing to a possible decline in overall health

* Decreased ability to communicate intentions to other animals and people, leading to possible misinterpretation and harm by others or danger to self and/or others
* Increased level of frustration, leading to possible redirected behaviors such as destructive behavior toward property or aggression toward animals or people

Debarking Fact Sheet from the Humane Society

This is an outdated, cruel, and unnecessary practice that should be outlawed across all 50 states. Debarking is currently banned in only 2 US states: Massachusetts and New Jersey. Let’s come together to end devocalization procedures for good. Let’s be a voice for the voiceless.

Our mission is to start in our home state of Oklahoma and create a ripple effect that changes laws across the country. We will begin by reaching out to Oklahoma senators & lawmakers now that we have reached our initial goal of 20,000 signatures.

2/11/2022: We got our first news story! Click here to see it.
2/14/2022: We made it to live TV news! See video here.
2/14/2022: Featured on Fox25 News @ 9: Article here