I often find myself wondering if there will ever come a day when animal cruelty will end.
Sadly, each day serves as a reminder of how cruel some people can be, especially to our innocent furry companions.
Through Watson’s story, I learned about the troubling example of the debarking procedure.
For those unfamiliar, debarking is a procedure where part of a dog’s vocal cords is surgically removed in order to silence them.
Watson’s Tragic Story
Theresa Jack, a lifelong Corgi owner from Utah, adopted Watson when he was three years old. She always knew Watson’s story needed to be heard, so she decided to post about him on TikTok to educate people of everything he had endured.
Watson once had another family before Theresa adopted him, and they are responsible for debarking him.
According to PETA, debarking or devocalization is a “surgical procedure that involves removing a large amount of laryngeal tissue, which involves a great deal of postoperative pain.”
This procedure causes a lot of physical pain, but it also has a significant psychological impact on animals.
They get deprived of their natural means of expression – the ability to express joy, happiness, pain, and even fear.
His previous family moved into an apartment, and soon after, Watson’s barking led to noise complaints from neighbors.
The housing complex gave the family an ultimatum – either debark Watson or he would be seized.
“The family made that decision [to debark] two weeks before they made the inevitable decision to rehome him. So this dog lost his voice and his family within the same month,” Theresa said in her TikTok video.
She further explained that for years, she tried not to judge the family that decided to debark Watson, but the consequences of their actions and what they did to this poor dog are sometimes too overwhelming.
“How can a creature survive after such catastrophic loss?” Theresa wondered, and I can’t help but wonder the same.
In his previous home, Watson was never aggressive, nor did he ever bite. Because he can’t use his voice after the surgery to communicate his needs, he now gets snappy and bites.
According to Theresa, Watson now has to wear a muzzle in public to protect himself from hurting others. “I can see the frustration in his eyes. When people can’t speak, we use our hands and gestures to communicate. When dog’s can’t speak, they use their teeth,” she told Newsweek.
Watson’s Law To Ban Debarking Of Animals
Theresa is working toward raising more awareness about this procedure and what it did to her beloved dog. She fully believes that Watson did not deserve it.
Six states currently have laws that prevent debarking under certain circumstances, but if you’d ask Theresa and Watson, “it should be illegal everywhere”.
“I have lived with Watson’s condition, but I forget how heartbreaking it is for someone who meets him for the first time to hear his story. I decided that it was time for change and I created a petition,” Theresa said.
She created a petition to ban debarking of animals and to prevent housing developers from requiring it in the state of Utah, which holds over 75,000 signatures.
“Watson was stripped of his voice, and now I have the responsibility to speak for him,” Theresa said.
Her goal is to get Watson’s Law passed in 2024, but regardless of the result, she hopes that at least Watson’s story will make people rethink subjecting their dogs to this procedure.