View from across the pond..
I find this quite fascinating as to my knowledge, debarking is never done over here. Prior to joining this forum and reading some of the previous threads on the subject, I was quite horrified at the thought of this proceedure, same as ear cropping, yet I don't have an issue with docking as it's something I've grown up being used to.
However, I must confess that on reading comments on the previous threads and subsequently this one, I have altered my opinion somewhat. I think our noise laws are less stringent here as well, which makes a difference, but if the only alternative to having to give up my dogs was debarking, then I would absolutly chose this path. Something I would never have said before.
I think it is odd that often people who are venemently opposed to something like this, are quite happy to push for routine neutering which is acatually going to have a more significant effect on the dog as it involves the removal of an organ, hormones etc. Each to their own but it does appear to be a different perception of the same kind of issue. Neutering stops dogs breeding and unwanted behaviour, debarking stops noise nuisance and because the dog is not being discplined all the time, presumably life is more pleasant for it.
Docking has recently been banned here, which I think is a slippery slope. It's a particuarly touchy subject at the moment as the law is peculiar in preventing legally docked dogs (working gundogs etc) from exhibiting at shows with a fee paying audience (Crufts). The trouble is it is all very well having legislation but it often seems to have unconsidered consquences. In the case of debarking, quite possibly more dogs being dumped/euthanased seems a likely side effect.
As to the law about leaving dogs in cars -? We have a lot of problems with this here in the summer months. A couple of years ago, a couple went to visit a safari park near where I live. It was the hottest day of the year and they left the dog in the car. When someone realised there was a problem and broke into the vehicle, the dog was not only dead, it had started to decompose it was so hot. Sadly it's not only people who have yet to evolve from pond life which do this either. There is constant issues with exhibitors leaving dogs in cars at shows and an extreemly public case where a police dog died having been left. I just think that having a law about this kind of thing seems odd. I leave my dogs in the car on occasions unattended, going to the supermarket to get some fish for Yogi on the way back from the vet springs to mind, but the outside temprature was about 5C so he wasn't going to fry. Seems like law is replacing common sense.
Just one final thing; does anyone ever devocalise a CAT?
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