Have I developed a sick fascination with doggy hineys? No! I just want to speak out against the barbaric practice of "docking" what would otherwise be beautiful tails on Brittanys and many other breeds of dogs. Yes, I've heard the arguments that it's "necessary" for working dogs, and that it doesn't hurt...Bull! Would any of us volunteer to have a portion of an appendage cut off, or our ears trimmed to make them pointy? Sheesh! Emma was the last dog that I purchased from a breeder, and we offered to pay in full before the puppies were born if the breeder would keep the tail on one of the puppies for us. He declined, because he didn't want to have one of "his" brittanys with a tail out and about in the world. Because of this, and of course the many, many dogs needing homes, I will not buy another brit from a breeder.
My first rescue brit was Tara, and she came with her beautiful tail intact! Just look at that lovely tail!
Of course, Cooper the new-comer has no tail, but hey - he needed a home, and I wasn't going to turn him away! Why is the United States still condoning the practice of docking tails and cropping ears? This is done for purely cosmetic reasons 99.99999% of the time, and should be outlawed just like it is in so many other countries. Just look at this list I stole from borrowed from Wikipedia.
Legal status of dog tail docking by country
Argentina: Unrestricted
Australia: Banned in all states and territories as of June 2004. Restricted to veterinarians, for welfare, not cosmetic.
Austria: Banned as of 1 January 2005
Argentina: Unrestricted
Australia: Banned in all states and territories as of June 2004. Restricted to veterinarians, for welfare, not cosmetic.
Austria: Banned as of 1 January 2005
Belgium: Banned as pf 1 January 2006
Brazil: Banned for cosmetic purposes
Canada: Unrestricted
Chile: Unrestricted
Croatia: Banned
Cyprus: Banned in 1991
Brazil: Banned for cosmetic purposes
Canada: Unrestricted
Chile: Unrestricted
Croatia: Banned
Cyprus: Banned in 1991
Czech Republic: Banned
Denmark: Banned as of 1 June 1996, with exceptions for five gun dog breeds
England: Restricted as of 2006 - can only be done by vet on a number of working dog breeds
Estonia: Banned as of 2001
Finland: Banned in 1992. Exception on tail docking, although banned on dog shows
France: Banned as of 4 August 2003
Germany: Banned on 1 May 1992, with exceptions for working gun dogs
Greece: Banned in 1991
Hungary: Banned
Iceland: Banned as of 2001
India: Unrestricted
Indonesia: Unrestricted
Ireland: Banned as of January 2008
Israel: Banned for cosmetic purposes in 2000.
Italy: Banned in Rome and Turin
Latvia: Banned
Lithuania: Banned
Luxembourg: Banned in 1991
Malaysia: Unrestricted
Mauritius: Unrestricted
Mexico: Unrestricted
Nepal: Unrestricted
Netherlands: Banned as of 1 September 2001
New Zealand: Unrestricted
Northern Ireland: Unrestricted tail docking, Ear Cropping Illegal.
Norway: Docking banned since 1987
Philippines: Unrestricted
Portugal: Unrestricted
Republic of Ireland: Unrestricted for dogs.
Russia: Unrestricted
Scotland: Banned as of 2006 for all breeds.
Singapore: Unrestricted
Slovakia: Banned as of 1 January 2003
South Africa: Banned as of June 2007
Sweden: Banned as of 1989.
Switzerland: Banned as of 1 July 1981 for the ears and 1988 for the tail
Taiwan: Unrestricted.
United States: Unrestricted (some states, including New York, and Vermont have considered bills to make the practice illegal)
Virgin Islands: Banned as of 2005
Wales: Same legislation as England
Denmark: Banned as of 1 June 1996, with exceptions for five gun dog breeds
England: Restricted as of 2006 - can only be done by vet on a number of working dog breeds
Estonia: Banned as of 2001
Finland: Banned in 1992. Exception on tail docking, although banned on dog shows
France: Banned as of 4 August 2003
Germany: Banned on 1 May 1992, with exceptions for working gun dogs
Greece: Banned in 1991
Hungary: Banned
Iceland: Banned as of 2001
India: Unrestricted
Indonesia: Unrestricted
Ireland: Banned as of January 2008
Israel: Banned for cosmetic purposes in 2000.
Italy: Banned in Rome and Turin
Latvia: Banned
Lithuania: Banned
Luxembourg: Banned in 1991
Malaysia: Unrestricted
Mauritius: Unrestricted
Mexico: Unrestricted
Nepal: Unrestricted
Netherlands: Banned as of 1 September 2001
New Zealand: Unrestricted
Northern Ireland: Unrestricted tail docking, Ear Cropping Illegal.
Norway: Docking banned since 1987
Philippines: Unrestricted
Portugal: Unrestricted
Republic of Ireland: Unrestricted for dogs.
Russia: Unrestricted
Scotland: Banned as of 2006 for all breeds.
Singapore: Unrestricted
Slovakia: Banned as of 1 January 2003
South Africa: Banned as of June 2007
Sweden: Banned as of 1989.
Switzerland: Banned as of 1 July 1981 for the ears and 1988 for the tail
Taiwan: Unrestricted.
United States: Unrestricted (some states, including New York, and Vermont have considered bills to make the practice illegal)
Virgin Islands: Banned as of 2005
Wales: Same legislation as England
Come on, United States---join the many other civilized countries in the world who have already banned this barbaric practice!
OK, I'm getting down from my soapbox now. Whew!
16 comments:
I agree. Personally I think dogs look best as nature intended. I think if the AKC would out law docking & cropping that would be the most major hurdle cleared.
I am right there with ya sister!
I hate to see a dog or cat "changed" to meet standards that mankind has put forth. If they weren't supposed to have long ears and tails I don't think they would have been born that way.
YES !!!!! You are absolutely right. I can't even think of a case where a working dog needs to lose his tail. It's equivalent to docking a human tongue. They speak with their tails. I'll get on that soapbox with you anytime.
Interesting list you posted. I'd never thought about what other countries do and just assumed the dogs that had tails docked here all had them done when only a couple of days old by a vet. I have Jack Russells and don't think I've ever seen one that didn't have a docked tail.
Climbing up on top the soapbox with ya sista!
BAN docking and cropping - I agree. SO many breeds... Boxers are SO much cuter with floppy ears- just look at the NASCAR doggies (Dale Jr's Killer and the Biffles family of boxers)!
Great message for your Dogs on Thursday post!
I have seen a JRT or two without a docked tail... Still, I'm generally against "cosmetic" surgery on pets!
Such a pretty "duster" tail. I have never understood the practice of docking. It's like giving a baby a nose job.
I am with you on that one!
Love the butt shots this week!
Your Brits are adorable!
Oh Diane...How I so agree with you! If they were meant to be short, they would hve been created that way! All animals(horses, dogs) should look as beautiful as they are the way they are naturally!...Your Britts are beauties! Tara...Cooper & Emma (though not fair to these two)
Thanks for all the info &the stand!
Have a great weekend!
Aussies and Pembroke corgis are my breeds. But all but one were natural bob tails. I don't have as big of a problem with tail docking as I do with ear bobbing, though, since the tails are done before the bone has hardened, ears are done when they are older, no bone of course but having those braces on are a pain. In general I am fine with passing a law that outlaws both but would rather spend my energy fighting puppy mills. They cause far more misery than docking.
Vicki
::applause::
This is also common with horses. Lovely bum shots ;)
Interesting post! I agree cosmetic surgery.... docking...cropping is wrong.
Not being a dog owner, I've never given it much thought. I can't believe that in this day and age (god, i sound old!) that we are even discussing this. Why hasn't the AKC come out against it? There is something so very wrong about mutilating someone for the sake of appearance. Why do working dogs need their tails docked? Do they get in the way?
If a dog were to come up to me and say, "Hey, I think I'd like my ears and tail trimmed. Just a little off the top and back.", then sure. Until that day, I'm not in favor of surgical "beauty treatments". I agree with the baby nose job comment.
I'm just sayin' I love Miss Gracie's tail so much that I can't imagine her not having it...I agree that it's barbaric.
Thanks for sharing your doggies' cut butts :)
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