A new bill introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives would make it illegal to debark a dog unless for a special instance.
House Bill 6031, introduced by Democratic Rep. Tim Sneller, would ban the devocalization of an animal "unless the veterinarian determines that the procedure is for a therapeutic purpose.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, there are six states in the U.S. that prohibit the devocalization of dogs under certain circumstances.
The AVMF says Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey prohibit it unless it's medically necessary; Pennsylvania prohibits it unless performed by a licensed vet using anesthesia; California and Rhode Island make it "unlawful to require the devocalization or declawing of animals as a condition of real estate occupancy."
Sneller told the Detroit Free Press that he doesn't see the bill going anywhere in the legislature. Instead, he said it was really just to make a point and bring up the issue to make owners think about it.
