We've all seen dogs with cut-off tails and with some breeds, it does look more appealing, but why is it wrong? Does it hurt? Does it take away the quality of life of the dog?
A friend had recently had Jack Russel terrier puppies and docked their tails, they did this while the puppies were 3days old, the tails healed nicely and to be honest, it looked more attractive. The puppies were given away and one lady that took her said that the pup was abused and maimed because of the tail docking and this had me thinking, is this true?
I've gone on the internet and tried to find the law against tail-docking and I've found conflicting results, some say its illegal, other say its frowned upon and others say it legal as long as its done by a vet. So please, what is it now?
Another thing I would like to point out is why this is wrong, but the cutting of sheep tails are fine and the branding of cattle is an everyday occurrence. We often hear of chickens being put into cages so small they can't spread their wings, just for tho eggs, never once touching the ground, just to be slaughtered once the egg-laying days are over! Why are these more accepted than the docking of tails? Just because they are farm animals doesn't mean they don't deserve a good quality of life!
People keep on complaining about animal abuse (and rightfully so) but what about the imbeciles that lets their dogs cross-breed with each other and they are left with unwanted mixed-breed dogs that nobody wants and end up at the SPCA or on the street! This seems more cruel than a simple tail-docking procedure. I know, you can't always control other males around your bitch that's on heat, but for crying out loud, if you are not planning on breeding, have your animals spayed/neutered!
I would never want to hurt an animal, but I must admit I do prefer some breeds with short tails, like the different terriers, boerboel, boxer, etc. However, I do feel it must be done by a vet, under anesthetic, to ensure its done correctly.
So I pose to you this question: What do you consider as animal abuse and is tail-docking included?
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