Earlier this week, the Assembly Agriculture Committee approved a ban on “debarking” – a recognized veterinary practice also known as bark softening. This bill is very similar to one that recently passed the Senate that would prohibit veterinarians from performing this procedure unless it is medically necessary to treat an injury, illness, or congenital defect.
The bill will now be considered by the Codes Committee before being scheduled for a vote by the full Assembly. It is important that New York residents contact their State Assemblyperson today and ask them to oppose Assembly Bill 3569. Type your address in the AKC Legislative Action Center at akcgr.org/officials to get the name and contact information for your member of the State Assembly.
This bill would restrict the rights of responsible dog owners to make viable, safe decisions on behalf of their pets in conjunction with their veterinarians. It also could force some owners to relinquish noisy but beloved pets to shelters.
View AKC’s previous alert, as well as the key issues page in AKC’s Legislative Action Center for talking points and more information on this issue.
AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) will continue to closely monitor all legislation impacting New York dog owners and provide updates as they become available. For questions or more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.