Ceretto passes legislation to ban 'convenience' animal devocalization

Assemblyman John Ceretto co-sponsored and passed legislation to ban "convenience" animal devocalization in New York. The procedure poses significant and unnecessary health risks to healthy animals and is done simply to silence more boisterous animals. Ceretto considers this an inhumane procedure to perform on a healthy animal.

"I was happy to help sponsor and pass this humane legislation for our four-legged friends," he said. "Removing the vocal chords of a loud animal is an extreme, Byzantine solution that should not be allowed in New York.

We love our dogs like family, and there are better solutions to stop dogs from barking, such as professional training. We don't remove our kids' vocal chords when they start talking back, and we shouldn't devocalize animals that bark too much."

Exceptions are made for situations where the procedure is necessary for treatment of an illness, disease or injury.

The legislation will now be sent to the Senate and, if passed, it will then go Gov. Andrew Cuomo's desk to be signed into law.