Dog Debarking Policy At AVMA Raises Activists' Howls Of Protest


Karen Mahmud, 43, of Long Island, N.Y., holds her long-haired Chihuahua, Lola, who barks in a squeaky whisper after surgeons cut the dog's vocal cords.

By JoNel Aleccia, NBC News

When Porter, a 123-pound black Newfoundland, attempts to bark, it comes out as a raspy cough. When Lola, a 6-pound long-haired Chihuahua, tries, she emits only a whispery squeak.

Both dogs have been “devocalized," or surgically muffled, using a controversial procedure regarded as either barbaric mutilation by lazy pet owners -- or as the last resort of animal lovers desperate to keep their furry companions.

Porter’s owner, Sue Perry, a 58-year-old Connecticut bookkeeper, and Lola’s owner, Karen Mahmud, a 43-year-old New York nutrition blogger, fall squarely into the first camp. They’re part of the Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets, an activist group that helped get the practice known as “debarking” or "devoicing" outlawed in Massachusetts two years ago. Now they have set their sights on the American Veterinary Medical Association. “I was just horrified by this,” said Perry, who adopted Porter from a rescue agency five years ago. “When he tried to bark, I was, like, ‘What the heck?’”

Though they’ve never met in person, the two women have joined to launch an online petition demanding that the AVMA, the nation’s leading group of veterinarians, condemn devocalization when the organization reviews its policy on the procedure later this year. So far, more than 125,000 people have signed onto their cause.

More: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/25/14677222-dog-debarking-policy-at-avma-raises-activists-howls-of-protest?lite

Online petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-veterinarians-devocalization-is-mutilation

General Elections, 6 November 2012

Following an invitation from the United States Mission to the OSCE to observe the 6 November 2012 general elections and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) from 23 to 27 April.

The OSCE/ODIHR NAM recommends the deployment of a Limited Election Observation Mission (LEOM) to observe the general elections.

http://www.osce.org/odihr/90651

=snip=

In contrast to Mitt Romney's used-car salesman approach in which he stabs you in the face but does so in a way that makes you thank him and shake his clammy hand in the end, Barack Obama's natural and authentic -- underscore authentic -- style might've seemed like he wasn't as polished.

No, the president wasn't as energetic as he could've been. Yes, he was far too kind and deferential to an opponent whose entire goal is to roll back every Obama administration achievement. But there was zero chance that President Obama would appear in Denver last night and suddenly reveal himself to be a snappy, idealized Aaron Sorkin character. Furthermore, many of my friends on the left lapsed back into this weird chronic amnesia in which they forget how Barack Obama carries himself, how he debates and who he is. With a few exceptions, the Obama you watched last night was the same Obama we watched win all three debates against John McCain four years ago, say nothing of all of the various town halls, press conferences and Question Time forums he's hosted. He's thoughtful and deliberate and, yes, he sometimes stammers during pauses, but that's no reflection on his leadership qualities or unrivaled intelligence. For the most part, this is how he's always comported himself. The problem, however, was that it might've come off as too deliberate and thoughtful when contrasted against Romney's caffeinated morning zoo deejay persona.

Speaking of which, let's talk about Romney's performance in terms of what he said.

Romney -- not the president -- made the biggest mistake of the night and almost everyone missed it....

Continues: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/bob-cesca/mitt-romney-won-the-debat_1_b_1940025.html

General Elections, 6 November 2012

Following an invitation from the United States Mission to the OSCE to observe the 6 November 2012 general elections and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) from 23 to 27 April.

The OSCE/ODIHR NAM recommends the deployment of a Limited Election Observation Mission (LEOM) to observe the general elections.

http://www.osce.org/odihr/90651