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VETERINARIANS AND THE DSPCA have welcomed the news that lay people will not be able to dock dogs’ tails.
A petition and campaign were set up earlier this month after it emerged that new regulations were being considered that would have allowed the docking of dogs’ tails by lay people, without anaesthetic or pain relief.
More than 11,000 people signed the petition.
Bray-based vet Pete Wedderburn had explained to TheJournal.ie that is currently unethical for Irish vets to dock dogs’ tails.
Today, Alan Rossiter MVB of Veterinary Ireland said that at its recent AGM, Minister Coveney confirmed that the surgical procedures of tail docking and dew claw removal on pups will be prohibited except by veterinary professionals, and only when there is a clear welfare benefit to the individual animal.
He said that Veterinary Ireland is awaiting the results of a study on tail injuries in working dogs in Scotland as well as the deliberation of a government agriculture committee before it decides whether there should be provision for vets to perform either of these procedures for welfare reasons.
Veterinary Ireland welcomed the Minister’s news, and commended him on the decision. Currently, the organisation’s position is that tail docking does not benefit the welfare of animals, based on the studies to date.
If the information changes under new studies, it may consider changing its stance on the topic to reflect that.
The Department of Agriculture told TheJournal.ie prior to Minister Coveney’s address that tail docking for dogs is currently banned as part of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, ” with very limited exception being considered relating to working dogs specifically terriers, spaniels and pointers”.
The spokesperson added last week:
We are currently waiting on international scientific research on this matter to be concluded before a final decision is made in relation to a new regulation on tail docking. Any decision will be based solely on animal welfare grounds and we are consulting widely with all stakeholders. Under no circumstance will tail docking for cosmetic purpose be allowed.
The DSPCA said it welcomed the news and said it “had no doubt that this was always the case”.
Vet Pete Wedderburn said that he had seen injuries to dogs caused by tail docking by non-vets, and he could not understand why the Minister for Agriculture would allow this to continue.
He welcomed the news but also raised the question of how the law would be enforced.
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I read this news to my dog – he wagged his tail
Leave the little doggies alone
And the big ones!
And medium sized
Tail docking is cruel and unnecessary. Personally, I think it’s evil to mutilate a dog like that.
Any decent vet would refuse to dock an animals tail anyway.
I doubt many people who do this will listen to it anyways
I also find it very disturbing the way some countries allow dogs ears to be cropped! I see pics all the time online of dobies with bandages on their ears!!! All because the owner wants the ‘look’! Love to crop the owners ears! Idiots!
I agree. If you are getting a pet for looks alone you shouldn’t have it in the first place.
I have a lovely rescue lurcher. She originated with travellers. They had cut the tail off her and broken her hind legs before we got her from ASH Animal Rescue aged about 10 weeks; horrific injuries inflicted on a beautiful and sweet-natured pup.
We’d had the dog about eight months when her tail began to bleed. When the vet X-rayed the tail, it turned out they had severed the tail mid-vertebra rather that at the joint and, as she grew, the jagged end had gradually grown out through the scar tissue.
We had no idea of the pain she must have been suffering all that time as they are very quiet dogs by nature.
Can’t imagine what the motivation could be to torture such a defenceless creature in such a barbaric way; makes me physically queasy thinking about it.
My point is tha, whilst it’s great that this practice is to be banned but all it amounts to is tokenism if the law is not enforced, as is so sadly the case with the vast majority of Ireland’s inadequate animal welfare laws.
Should be totally banned.. A dog needs it’s tail whether people think it or not. Not for us to decide what animal needs to be mutilated for it to be easier on the eye
Couldn’t agree more Ciaran. I remember some years ago a friend of mine told me he was helping his brother show boxer dogs at a well known dog show, their tails were the docked. At one point in the proceedings a judge inspected the docked tails with a ruler, they were expected to be 2 inches long exactly.
The point to this is there are those “dog lovers” out there who still expect certain breeds of dogs to look a certain way, regardless if it’s totally unnatural. To get this desired look they are quite prepared to dock a dogs tail or cut its ears or any other extreme measures. Barbaric, I can’t understand how these people can describe themselves as loving dogs.
Excellent news, it should be banned completely to the point where vets should not do it as well. A large fine with the chance of a prison sentence would be a good starting point for anyone who does this.
If you read the article, vets won’t be allowed to do it either unless it will benefit the dog.
Good news. Dew claw removal wtf is wrong with people? Why in dogs name would any monster think removing this is a good idea! Reminds me of a friend who rescued a cat in Kuwait who had its claws and voice box removed. Who does that. I hate people some times.
That cat story is extreme, no doubt. A dog’s dew claws don’t serve any purpose and can be hazardous to dogs with shallow eye sockets. Not really comparable.
‘Can be’ so remove it? I have three dogs now and over my life have owned many more. None of them (all different breeds with shallow and deep eye sockets) have ever had a problem with eye sockets or anything else because I didnt remove their claws? It’s a disgusting thing to do to an animal. People who do this sort of thing should at the very least receive a life time ban from ever owning another creature.
A dew claw, not their claws. Is there a confusion on this? I’m firmly against docking, but can’t see a problem with this if being cautious with certain breeds, done at an early age by a registered vet, of course.
Ps: Docking is largely done for aesthetic purposes (and we all know it), but the dew claw is meaningless this way; it is only done when deemed appropriate.
Yes the way it is these days it is done for aesthetic reasons but initially it was to prevent a dog from showing submission easily.
You mean docking, right? Why on earth would dew claw removal be done for aesthetic purposes?
If it is meaningless then why are little puppies born with them? You are talking nonsense and trying to rationalise a brutal primitive practice. Cop on to yourself.
Why are we born with an appendix and why do we necessarily do a barbaric practise of removing that from ourselves?? The dew claw is a hangover from the wolf which uses its dew claw to lock onto its prey.seeing that most dogs dont need to hunt down their dinner anymore it has become as needful to them as we need our appendix.In fact with certain breeds or dogs that are boisterous the the dew claw can be a hazard and get hooked into whatever they are jumping on and cause themselves very nasty injuries .
I Ve had two dogs that managed to literally rip their dew claws off by getting them caught in fences.
Picture taking the top off your finger in the mess to have them repaired.Vet had to remove them in the end anyway.
Simon, you are the judge of evolution I think. Sorry for your dogs, but honestly its unspeakable that anyone would mutilate the body of a defenseless animal because they think they know better than nature. Get a grip.
But that’s just it, it’s not brutal. To lump it in with tail docking is irresponsible.
And Paul, your defence of dogs is admirable but in this case, unnecessary: I’m sorry, but you really don’t know what you’re talking about.
By your rationale, neutering and spaying is a barbaric practice.
I’ve heard of dew claw removal in some dogs to prevent it catching on furniture and clothing, in this respect the removal of the dew claw is an even more unnecessary decision than tail docking. If nobody can put forward a compelling reason for doing this, then don’t even contemplate it.
Bronagh, sweetheart, I know exactly what I’m talking about. You are the person who is trying to defend mutilating an animal because you think you know better. Dun do bheal!
Paul,
Sorry but you are wrong. Dew claws can and do damage dogs, just like the human appendix they do not perform any function whatsoever. Removal as puppies causes no more pain than your toenail being stripped.
I remember one of our first dogs catching a dew claw somewhere and coming back with the area dripping in blood and his obviously being in pain. Since then after being reassured by a vet always had dew claws removed.
Im not. Have a read of this, it might help you to understand – http://www.examiner.com/article/the-truth-about-tail-docking-and-dew-claw-removal
Tails are there for a reason
Only knackers get this done, so they’re hardly going to obey the ban on it.
Happy Day
Great news
I know how I would feel if my tail was docked, I certainly wouldn’t be happy about it!
This is wonderful news! I’d like to see severe penalties being brought in for people who dock tails from now on. Maybe they should have their own “tails” docked? ;)
Great. Can we ensure we get more of the same for other animals, including piglets, who often have testicles and teeth ripped out with no anaesthetic. Or birds who are debeaked. To mention but a few…
Surely circumcision needs to be banned also
Ban these activities altogether. See the vets kept their financial interests intact.
“See the vets kept their financial interests intact.”
You mean the stuff that requires a qualified vet to do? Yeah, I’d prefer that was left to the vets to be honest.
Vets don’t want to do this work at all. Vets actually want it specifically prohibited that **anyone** – vet or otherwise – can do these procedures, except where there is a medical need.
Banned, it’ll make no difference whatsoever, the law in this country is there be be abused, now pass me over that scissors.
Dog tailing is being banned, but circumcision for non-medical reasons is still permitted. Hum, some cruelties based on tradition are ok and others are not. If only infants had 11,000 signatures supporting them.
I don’t see the problem with docking tails. I’ve done loads of them. Now I’m off to remove my sons appendix on the sitting room table. What’s the big deal?
Under ground as normal so be it..
Tail docking shouldn’t be allowed by anyone unless it was for some kind of medical issue. It’s cruel and unnecessary.
Hopefully, we’ll see a ban on cropping next. Also change in KC standards to allow any colour in breeds. Although this may have already happened. In referring here as an example to the standard of no more than 1/3 white or black in Boxers which resulted in numbers of pups put down at birth.
If you read the dspca’s letter on fb it sits on the fence doesnt support or reject the regulations so i dnt no why they getting praised here dogs trust done more advertising trying to get it stoped than the dspca did
Ah Jim- do u not know u are supposed to give ur comment an explanation saying :’clearly I’m being sarcastic ! ‘…. Well read red thumbers…
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