As pet parents, many of us deal with barking dogs and the complaints that come with them. But few of us would consider a solution as barbaric as the one suggested by the Graham County District Attorney’s Office in North Carolina.
Michael Eddings faced noise violation citations because of his seven-year-old Great Pyrenees, named Leo. But he was not expecting an assistant district attorney to suggest that he have his dog’s vocal cords surgically removed.
The assistant DA proposed that the $750 in charges for noise complaints would be dropped if Eddings had Leo debarked. Of course, Eddings would have no part in this inhumane solution to a common pet parent problem.
‘It Is Inhumane’
Eddings appeared in court to address the charges, which said his dog was in violation of county noise ordinances. The law says that noise should not be heard from more than 50 feet away from the source.
Being that Leo is a 120-pound Great Pyrenees, his bark is loud.
The assistant district attorney in the courtroom offered Eddings a plea deal. All charges would be dropped if Leo had surgery to remove his vocal cords.
This practice is known as debarking, and it has been banned in the United Kingdom. Sadly, only a few states have banned or limited the procedure in the US.
Of course, Eddings was not willing to go through with the surgery. “It’s crazy. It is inhumane,” he said. “We’re willing to negotiate. We’ll put up a fence, things like that, but I’m not going to put on a barking collar, and I’m not going to have surgery.”
A representative from the DA’s office confirmed that the plea deal was offered to Eddings. She said:
“I have confirmed that an assistant district attorney in my district suggested, as a possible solution to violations of a town’s noise ordinance, that a dog’s vocal cords be surgically altered. Whether offered in jest or seriousness, the suggestion was inappropriate.”
It certainly was an extreme, barbaric, and unnecessary suggestion. Hopefully, with all of this backlash, district attorneys will think twice about making such plea deals in the future.
How To Deal With Barking The Right Way
(Stock Picture Credit: Kathleen Moir/Getty Images)While the DA’s plea deal leaves Eddings and dog lovers justifiably angry, we also need to be good pet parents and good neighbors. There are plenty of humane solutions to excessive barking.
Part of the solution is to understand the cause of your dog’s barking. Many dogs bark due to fear, boredom, or frustration.
Common sense solutions include keeping your dog inside and away from windows during peak hours when people and pets are outside and constructing a fence to block the view.
However, many dogs require a more personal touch from a professional trainer or obedience classes. These are probably the best options, especially for dogs who bark out of fear or frustration.
If your dog barks out of boredom, try giving them more exercise during the day. You may also want to leave them with a toy or treat, like a KONG with frozen peanut butter, to keep them busy when you leave.
Regardless of which method you choose, never debark your dog. The surgery can leave them with health complications and, at the very least, will deprive them of one of their main ways of communicating.
What would you do if a court asked you to remove your dog’s vocal cords? Have you ever gotten a noise complaint because of your dog? Let us know in the comments below!
