The average Massachusetts resident may not know this, but there is a huge legal debate happening on Capitol Hill at this very moment that ultimately affects the lives of every person living in the state.

One aspect of the proposed legislation, a bill that has just been favorably moved by the joint committee to the House committee, has to do with outlawing animal devocalization. A few readers have contacted me wanting to know more about this practice of debarking dogs.

Devocalization is also known as bark softening, and is a surgical option used to manage the noise output of a dog that is a nuisance barker. The procedure also quells those inappropriately loud or excessively high-pitched barks.

The dog's vocal cords are best described as two small folds of skin in the larynx that open and close to control air and sound flow from the throat. The minor surgical procedure involves either making an incision in the vocal cords or removing a small fold of tissue. Vetz 4 petz explains, "The amount of tissue removed from these cases is less involved than that of a tonsillectomy." What's more, side effects from the procedure are minimal.

The term "devocalization" is a misnomer simply for the fact that the dog is still perfectly capable of barking. However, after the surgical procedure, the resulting bark becomes considerably quieter and much less sharp. The devil-dog's advocate might even argue that true "devocalization," or fundamental removal of a dog's voice, occurs when such dog is silenced by other alternatives such wearing no-bark training devices. One might even argue that bark softening IS the humane approach in these cases.

While it is also possible to manage barking through behavior modification and busy tactics, the real-world fact is that even with training some dogs insist on barking incessantly when their owner is not present. In these cases, dogs that live in close quarters, such as apartment complexes, or those that are excessively annoying to neighbors are typical candidates for bark softening.

As with any proposed legislation, I always remind people to think carefully about the consequences of making laws that limit freedom. A devocalization law would directly affect the dog owner by removing an option that is available to them for maintaining responsible dog ownership. What's more, such a law would also abridge the rights of the non-dog owner. Non-dog owning neighbors may be menaced by barking dog and might feel forced to choose between moving to a new home or spending their life's savings on a costly legal battle to live a peaceful life.

TRACIE LALIBERTE of Attleboro is a professional lecturer, educator and published writer on the subject of dogs. She is pursuing a doctoral degree on the human-canine bond. You can contact her with any dog-related questions at tracie@dogpawse.com.