BILL NUMBER: S9847
SPONSOR: GIANARIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to
restricting the performance of surgical devocalization procedures on
dogs and cats
 
PURPOSE OF THE BILL:
This bill will prohibit the devocalization of dogs and cats unless there
is a medical condition that requires the procedure.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends the agriculture and markets law by adding a new
section 365-a restricting the practice of devocalizing a dog or cat.
Section two of the bill relates to forfeiture of animals.
Section three of the bill authorizes the commissioner of agriculture and
markets and the commissioner of education to promulgate rules and regu-
lations to enforce this section.
Section four sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill is an updated version of S1125 (2021-2022). Dogs and cats
vocalize for a number of reasons. They use their voices to communicate
to other animals and humans feelings of happiness, fear, playfulness,
boredom, pain, or aggression. Vocalizing is also used to greet or warn
others, or to,gain attention. A person does an animal great physical and
psychological harm when electing to have them devocalized, which can
result in problematic animal behaviors. Instead, there are therapies
and other proven techniques which can help to manage this behavior with-
out surgical intervention.
Devocalization, also known as ventriculocordectomy, debarking, devoic-
ing, or bark softening, is a surgical procedure which resects or removes
tissues in the vocal chords of an animal. This is done to either muffle
or eliminate the bark of a dog or meow of a cat. There are two
approaches to the procedure; one which seeks to alter the vocal chords
through the oral cavity, and another that does so directly onto the
larynx. Each procedure imposes postoperative pain and potential compli-
cations and can cause future respiratory issues in the animal. Often-
times, the procedures result in only altering the voice or pitch of an
animal's voice, instead of softening or eliminating it altogether. The
animal may even resume a near-normal voice within several months of the
procedure. Although devocalization has been used to stop the excessive
vocalization of dogs and cats, the underlying issues that cause this
behavior remain.
Devocalization has been restricted to medically necessary circumstances
by statute in Massachusetts and New Jersey and been similarly outlawed
in many other countries including the United Kingdom, Greece, and Swed-
en.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023: Passed Senate; Died in Agriculture (Assembly)
2022: Passed Senate; Died in Agriculture (Assembly)
2021: Died in Agriculture (both houses)
2020: Died in Domestic Animal Welfare/Died in Agriculture (Assembly)
2019: Died in Rules/ Died in Agriculture (Assembly)
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall become
law.