Tail docking ban?

[buggyracer]

I for one feel this proposed ban on docking dogs tails is ridiculous, working dogs with un-docked tails can suffer horrific damage whilst working in heavy cover, and how the Government will police this law remains to be seen, what are other peoples opinions on this issue??

[jac1791]

i think people that dock puppys at home should be jailed - if its a working dog - yes i think a vet and only a vet should do it!

[brandy]

i agree if it is for health and saftey reasons by all means ... but just for the way it looks never and should be preformed by the vet

[buggyracer]

I agree it should be performed by a vet or a trained specialist, but i think the vets up here stopped doing it a few years ago now? can anyone confirm this??

[crashbandicoot1979]

Completely agree with brandy - as long as it is for health and safety reasons, not cosmetic reasons, and as long as it is done by a vet, then fine, Not sure if the vets up here still do it but I have heard of vets that refuse to do it. I can't imagine how the government will enforce this. I can understand banning docking for cosmetic reasons but then it will be hard to distinguish between those that are docked for this reason and those that are docked for safety reasons.

[MadPict]

This is a highly emotive issue.
The Royal Cllege of Veterinary Surgeons has clear guidelines on tail docking -

Leading Counsel has advised:

1.Docking, which may be defined as the amputation of the whole or part of a dog's tail has, since July 1993, been illegal under UK law, if performed by a lay person.

2.The Royal College has for many years been firmly opposed to the docking of dogs' tails, whatever the age of the dog, by anyone, unless it can be shown truly to be required for therapeutic or truly prophylactic reasons.

3.Docking cannot be defined as prophylactic unless it is undertaken for the necessary protection of the given dog from risks to that dog of disease or of injury which is likely to arise in the future from the retention of an entire tail. The test of likelihood is whether or not such outcome will probably arise in the case of that dog if it is not docked. Faecal soiling in the dog is not for this purpose a disease or injury, and its purported prevention by surgical means cannot be justified.

4.Similarly, docking cannot be described as prophylactic if it is undertaken merely on request, or just because the dog is of a particular breed, type or conformation. Council considers that such docking is unethical.

5.Docking a dog's tail for reasons which are other than truly therapeutic or prophylactic is capable of amounting to conduct disgraceful in a professional respect. In the event of disciplinary proceedings being brought in respect of tail docking, it shall be open to the RCVS by evidence to prove, and to the Disciplinary Committee on such evidence to find, that any therapeutic or prophylactic justification advanced for the docking in question is without substance. If such a finding is made, the Disciplinary Committee may proceed to consider and to decide whether in the circumstances the veterinary surgeon who undertook that docking knew, or ought to have known, that such purported justification is without substance.

6.For the avoidance of any doubt, any instance of tail docking which is found to have been undertaken for reasons which were not truly therapeutic or prophylactic will necessarily constitute an unacceptable mutilation of the dog, which, if carried out by a veterinary surgeon who knew or ought to have known of the lack of true justification, would almost certainly be considered to be conduct disgraceful in a professional respect.

The RSPCA is quite clear about tail docking -

Docking is a surgical amputation, which involves cutting or crushing a puppy's skin, muscles, up to seven pairs of nerves, and bone and cartilage - and is performed without anaesthetic when pups are just three to five days old. At this age they can feel pain, and research indicates they do so at a greater intensity than adult dogs because the ability to suppress pain develops with age and experience.

Why dock?
Those in favour of docking often suggest the procedure is done to prevent tail damage in gundogs and working dogs, yet no one can predict that a dog will ever injure its tail severely enough to warrant an amputation. There can also never be a guarantee that a puppy will become a gundog, so an exemption would be unenforceable and would make no sense from an animal welfare point of view.

Docking has become standard in certain dog breeds regardless of whether the individual puppy becomes a pet or ever actually works. Springer spaniels and English setters, for example, have similar long coats and tails and both are used as gundogs; yet only spaniels are docked. The tails of German shepherds, widely used by the police, and Labradors, used for retrieval and as guide dogs for the blind, are not docked.

"There is no evidence that some dogs have more sensitive tails or are more prone to damaging their tails than others," said the RSPCA's chief veterinary adviser, Tim Miles. "This simple fact demolishes the argument that some 'working' breeds, such as spaniels and pointers, should still have their tails amputated as puppies, when the accepted ethical view is that other breeds' tails should no longer be docked."

The British Veterinary Association states -

The BVA and BSAVA have been campaigning against the non-therapeutic docking of puppies’ tails since the sixties because it believes that it is not in the animal’s best interests. In fact:

there is good evidence to show that the act of docking causes pain;
there is some evidence to show that pain in neonates is enhanced compared to adults;
a dog’s tail is a vital form of canine expression and an important means of communication with other dogs and other species;
the removal of the tail may induce or exacerbate other medical conditions such as incontinence and perineal hernia in bitches.
Under the recently published Animal Welfare Bill (England and Wales) and the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Bill tail docking is considered to be a mutilation. There is however concern that tail docking may be permitted by way of an exemptions clause in secondary legislation. Indeed the Defra Minister Ben Bradshaw has verbally referred to Parliament having a free vote on the subject. This provides an ideal opportunity for veterinary surgeons and concerned members of the public to lobby their MPs urging them to support a complete ban on the non-therapeutic (cosmetic or prophylactic) docking of dogs’ tails.

It is, of course, also important that there is no discrepancy between the Scottish, English and Welsh legislation if we are to avoid neonatal puppies being transported considerable distances to have their tails docked.

The Scottish SPCA's view on the subject -

Scottish SPCA Inspectors have received reports from a number of vets regarding the high percentage of dogs coming through their surgeries with tails that have been docked.

An alarming fact is that many people are unaware that tail docking is now an illegal act in the UK, if carried out by anyone other than a registered veterinary surgeon. Even then, a vet should only remove a dog's tail for therapeutic or prophylactic reasons. In other words, dogs should not have their tails docked for purely cosmetic reasons (such as to comply with any breed standards).

Tail docking involves the shortening of an animal's tail a few days after birth, by amputation or banding, without the use of anaesthetic.

Senior Inspector Mark Lumgair said: "Our concern is that people are apparently unaware that tail docking is prohibited under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (Schedule 3 Amendment 1993). One of the main problems is that certain breeds continue to be recognised without tails by the Kennel Club, such as Boxers and Jack Russells. Dogs with full tails should be considered the norm.

"Several vets have expressed concern at the number of people who attend their surgeries and own dogs with docked tails. People seem to be unaware that this procedure should not be carried out automatically just because of the breed type."

The subject of tail docking is a contentious issue.

I am totally opposed to docking. All these organisations which are responsible for the welfare of animals are opposed to tail docking. Do you think that a handful of people who use dogs as a tool are more right than the professional?
I am disgusted that tail docking is still carried out to meet breed standards and just watching Crufts this year it was obvious the Kennel Club has not taken on board that docking is illegal now. All docked breeds were there sans tails....

Would you amputate the little finger on each hand of your child when it was hours old? After all, do you need your little finger?........

[_Ju_]

I for one feel this proposed ban on docking dogs tails is ridiculous, working dogs with un-docked tails can suffer horrific damage whilst working in heavy cover, and how the Government will police this law remains to be seen, what are other peoples opinions on this issue??

How can I put this in a diplomatic and pleasant way??? Working dogs with tails suffering horrific damage is an URBAN MYTH. On the other hand, new born puppies having their tails cut off will guarantee pain and suffering in 100% of cases. And on ocassion worse situations of infection and/or (albeit rarely) death.

[Tyke]

Have to get involved in this one. I don't like the idea of docking tails and never have done, even the Kennel Club have now become enlightened and have stated they will judge dogs tradionally docked alongside the same breed with tails. I have seen Boxers with tails and it takes some time to get used to seeing them, but I have noticed that at speed the docked Boxer cannot turn anywhere near as fast as the docked one. Boxers were originally cattle dogs so if it performs better with a tail surely that applies to all working breeds. Accidents can and do happen but that is life.

[Liz]

I am totally opposed to tail docking. It is totally unnecessary and cruel.

The argument re working dogs doesn't make sense as all wild animals who hunt have long tails! If they weren't supposed to have long tails they wouldn't be born with them!

I hate the 'mutilation' of animals to pander to humans ideas of what certain breeds should look like. The way that poor dogs have been bred to make certain characteristics is heartbreaking. This way we end up with poor dogs with little short legs; flat faces; no hair etc!!!!

My last Shelties ears didn't fold down like they are supposed to but thankfully all the breeder used was blu tac to hold them down.

When we took this off his ears 'twanged' up and stayed that way!

Leave dog's tails alone!!!!!

PS Dozerboy - Couldn't watch prog re Fat Pets after seeing the trailer! The poor , poor Rottie!

[dozerboy]

PS Dozerboy - Couldn't watch prog re Fat Pets after seeing the trailer! The poor , poor Rottie!

NO, I found it hard to watch also. I felt so sorry for the dog, and I had hatred for the stupid owner who couldn't see the cruelty she was putting her so called beloved dog through. It needs taken away for a while, put on a strict diet and then it might be able to exercise which in turn would help it lose weight.

[rs 2k]

I say NO to docking!!!!!

[angela5]

NO to docking.