Even your superior Merriam-Webster has this entry
1 : to emit a loud sustained doleful sound characteristic of members of the dog family
"嚎 from the members of the dog family" is the ORIGINAL meaning of this word – “howl”, although it has other derived meanings. Actually, I suspect it was an onomatopoeia (擬聲詞) at first.
I still prefer “outcry”, which implies strong protects or objection. It matches the spirit of Mr. Lu’s article - . And It sounds more refined or cultured than howl.
Just my one cent ha~~~