To the editor:

In response to the column "Debarking dogs": The negative description of the dog debarking operation is very misleading. When done by a vet trained in the technique, it is much safer than most other kinds of operations. The result is not a silent dog. It can still bark as much as it likes, but it is much quieter.

I have owned or lived with several debarked Shelties because the breed is notoriously noisy, although it makes a wonderful companion otherwise. Most of the Sheltie owners I know have had to debark many of their dogs also. I have never heard of any problem with the operation.

The operation is never done lightly, but it is useful as a last-ditch option for desperate owners who have usually tried every other method first and are left with a choice between turning their beloved pets in to the pound or having them euthanized. Debarking isn't for dogs that can be trained or controlled.

To dismiss the debark option too lightly based on the misleading information would be a big mistake.

BONNIE CHANDLER

Harvard, Mass.