From 16-year-old suburbanite Jordan Star to 71-year-old Jordan Gallagher who lives in the heart of Boston, a grassroots network of pet owners and others from every corner of Massachusetts passed an historic humane law recently. Logan’s Law, which took effect July 21, is the first state law in the nation to prohibit devocalization of dogs and cats — thanks to the unfunded, volunteer network of Massachusetts residents who sponsored and campaigned for this humane legislation.

This historic law, impetus for a new federal cruelty prevention bill, was sponsored by Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets without funding or even a formal organization, testament that everyone can make a difference. In fact, the Coalition is now two for two: In 2008, CPRPets filed and passed the first state law banning a new business model that rents dogs by the hour or day, like DVDs or cars.

Who is Logan anyway?

A proud show dog, Logan’s breeder had him devocalized, then gave him up when he stopped winning ribbons. His rescuer, Gayle Fitzpatrick, founder of Friends of the Plymouth Pound, says her adopted pet rasped and coughed, retched and gagged relentlessly as a result of devocalization till the day he died. “Logan did nothing to deserve this," says Fitzpatrick. "His vocal cords were cut for one reason only: his breeder’s greed."
 

Logan was a proud show dog whose breeder had him devocalized, then gave him to a rescue group when he stopped winning blue ribbons. His adopter, Gayle Fitzpatrick of Plymouth, says Logan coughed, gagged and retched persistently — common complications of devocalization — till the day he died.

Sadly, Logan is not alone.

“Of the hundreds of devocalized dogs — and some cats — we’ve discovered in Massachusetts in a year of campaigning for Logan’s Law, nearly all had been ordered devocalized by breeders,” according to Coalition spokeswoman Leslie Burg. “Only a few dog had been devocalized by pet owners, who regretted it, and one cat by a hoarder.”

Why would breeders devocalize?
 
Some breeders devocalize in order to keep many dogs without complaints from neighbors and authorities; others like to profit from, but not hear, their own animals, explains Burg.

Who else would do this to a helpless animal? According to Burg: Show dog exhibitors, to keep dogs quiet in the ring and in transit between shows. Sled dog hobbyists devocalize, too, because dogs typically bark more in groups — and huskies are a barky breed. Some dogfighters, animal hoarders, and biotech labs that test on dogs and cats also devocalize.

Keeping cruelty under the radar 

Few who order or perform devocalization voluntarily disclose it, because it is widely considered inhumane, says Burg, adding that it is easy to hide. “Unlike docked tails or cropped ears, cut vocal cords aren’t visible, so people assume these animals have laryngitis. Who’d imagine someone would be callous enough to have an animal's vocal cords cut to deal with barking or meowing? It’s hard to fathom.”

Shelters, veterinarians testify: serious risks, no benefit for animals — not even a secure home

More than 50 pieces of testimony submitted to the Massachusetts legislature by shelter executives, prominent veterinarians and animal behavior experts concurred: Cutting an animal’s vocal cords by any means, for any purpose except to treat disease, injury, or birth defects (as allowed by Logan’s Law), is an act of cruelty.
 

An AKC breeder had Stella's vocal cords cut to suppress her voice, a practice known as devocalization, then didn't want her. Scar tissue obstructed Stella's throat as a result of this convenience surgery. She was rescued by Dottie Veneto of Quincy, who paid for lifesaving corrective surgery.

Veterinarians testified that no matter how the vocal cords are cut or how experienced the vet, animals face serious, even life-threatening risks. They can be compromised for life or die by choking, aspiration pneumonia, heat stroke, or surgical complications.
 
Shelter executives testified: Devocalized animals are abandoned like any other. Surgically altering animals to manage behavior — whether devocalization or declawing — does not keep them out of shelters.
 
"A dog’s or cat’s best chance is with an owner who chooses, houses, trains, and cares for pets responsibly and humanely — and for whom the animal is a companion, not a profit center or sports equipment," according to Gayle Fitzpatrick, a rescue volunteer for 30 years. “Some breeds are more vocal than others, and most vocalize more in groups. Responsible people don’t run breeding operations or put naturally barky breeds where noise is not tolerated.

Fitzpatrick adds, “Frequent vocalization is a often distress call; the animal is bored, lonely, anxious, or in physical discomfort. Vocal cord surgery doesn’t change the distress. It just makes it easy for the owner to ignore until it escalates.  What do you think happens to the devocalized pet then — or when he’s no longer profitable for his breeder? Dumped, just like our poor Logan.”

Lady was given to a shelter after being devocalized. Lady was adopted, then surrendered again.

Logan’s Law was endorsed by over two dozen animal shelters statewide, joined by Animal Law Coalition, Boston Dogs Organization, Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA), New England Federation of Humane Societies, and more than 200 sympathetic Massachusetts veterinarians.

The state veterinary and dog breeders’ associations lobbied vigorously against the legislation, Burg notes, “We reached out to the veterinary association repeatedly, asking it to work with us toward passage of this humane legislation, and offering to negotiate its provisions, but were ignored. Instead, the association attempted to introduce an amendment that would have made the law unenforceable. We are grateful that the HSVMA and several hundred independent-thinking state vets stepped up to protect vulnerable dogs and cats.”

She adds that the state veterinary association said in a news report following passage of the law that it now supports Logan’s Law.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Learn more!

• Who devocalizes? What do the dogs sound like? Check out Faces of Devocalization on YouTube.
• What are the risks? Hear what veterinarians and shelters say. Check out The Unkindest Cut on YouTube. (Warning, video content could be considered graphic.)
   

Photos courtesy of the Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets