Debarking, also known as devocalization, devoicing, or bark softening, is a surgical procedure that involves removing laryngeal tissue from a dog, which renders them unable to produce normal sounds when barking. This procedure has been met with much controversy and considered by many to be unethical or cruel. Certain U.S. counties and states have even gone so far as to ban the procedure entirely.

There are more humane and effective behavioral treatments than debarking. The surgery can decrease the sound created by barking, but not eliminate it.
The debarking procedure requires general anesthesia with possible adverse reactions, as well as surgery. Surgical complications include bleeding, risk of infection, pain, nerve damage, and scar tissue formation that requires additional surgeries. As many as 1 in 4 dogs suffer from scarring or laryngeal webbing that can cause difficulty breathing and the need for additional surgeries. Laryngeal nerve damage can lead to aspiration pneumonia.
Many believe surgical debarking procedures are inhumane and a form of mutilation.
Surgical debarking is banned or illegal in the United Kingdom and in many parts of the U.S., like New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Warwick, Rhode Island.

source:People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510757-622-PETA (7382)757-622-0457 (fax)PETA is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation (tax ID number 52-1218336).