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.

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.

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