We win on this one

Massachusetts Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz reported that the House Bill prohibiting devocalization of dogs and cats was passed by the Senate.

She said This legislation will make the very painful and cruel act of devocalizing dogs and cats illegal in Massachusetts, except when deemed medically necessary by a licensed veterinarian. The bill will also pose strict criminal penalties on anyone, including a veterinarian, who conducts this surgical procedure unlawfully, including imprisonment, fines and/or losing their practicing license.

In my letter on this issue I said: "This bill is being opposed by commercial animal sellers who want to add destructive amendments.

"Commercial breeders want to devocalize animals so they can locate their often-suspect "breeding mills" in any area at all without complaints about loud sounds. Additionally they want to expand their client base by selling the "convenience" of customized bark-free animals.

"Devocalization goes along with "declawing" in being a misleading euphemism used to advance sales and mislead the public. Declawing means amputation of parts of the cats feet. Devocalization means surgical excision of the vocal cords and larynx, a complex operation performed in a delicate and important part of the animal's body, with the risk of collateral damage, infection, leisons, scarring and the assurance of pain along with permanent psychological harm to the animal.

"Devocalization" is against the law in the UK and parts of Europe.

Commercial breeders treat animals as product, therefore no moral obligation to the animals' lives. They seek buyers who want a modified (read mutilated) animal in order to reduce the amount of care and attention to the animal.

When barking causes neighborhood disputes and legal problems, it usually begins because the owners have not provided the dogs with the basic needs for their lives.The dilemna of chronic excessive vocalization by dogs rests on the shoulders of the owners, usually guilty of improper socialization, care and training, conditions of stress, boredom, neglect, fear or frustration. Some owners make insensible decisions, such as putting a German Shepherd or other large breed in a tiny apartment with no provision for walks or other exercises. Many dogs are led out of the house for five minutes twice a day, taken a few feet down the sidewalk to relieve themselves and dragged back into what is -- in fact -- a prison.

Mutilating dogs and cats for human "convenience" violates the tenets of many spiritualities in the world. Those who push these mutilations exist on a continuum of degraded behavior that harms the world and the spirits of those who seek new answers for life on the planet. We humans are OF the earth. Those we call "other" animals are OF the earth. A new consciousness has begun to evolve seeking ways for us to live congenially, pragmatically and spiritually with all the rich life forms sharing the earth with us. There are hopeful signs we may yet transcend the horrors of the present and the past.