A ruling by an Oregon appeals court upholding an order that a couple muffle their continuously barking dogs through "debarking" surgery stirred outrage among animal rights groups on Thursday, which called the procedure cruel and unnecessary.
The case stems from a long-standing feud between neighbors in rural Jackson County in southern Oregon.
Debra and Dale Krein sued in 2012 after enduring years of what they deemed incessant barking by several Tibetan Mastiff dogs owned by their neighbors, Karen Szewc and John Updegraff, court documents showed.