Every Dog Should Have a Tail to Tell
From 6 April 2007 in England, and 28 March in Wales, the docking of dogs' tails has been banned except for certain working dogs or where the procedure is required for the purposes of medical treatment. The docking of dogs' tails has been banned in Scotland, without any exception for working dogs, under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 with effect from 30 April 2007. Advice from the RCVS is also available.
The BVA and BSAVA have been campaigning against the non-therapeutic docking of puppies’ tails since the sixties because they believe 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.
A poster showing traditionally docked breeds with full tails has been re-designed by the BVA:AWF in association with the BVA, BSAVA, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, PDSA, RSPCA and Wood Green Animal Shelters. The poster was mailed to all veterinary practices last year and further copies can be downloaded from the BVA:AWF website.
Legislation
The Animal Welfare Act (which applies to England and Wales) received the Royal Assent on 8 November 2006. It is accompanied by a set of Explanatory Notes and an additional Guidance Note has been produced by Defra to help enforcers of the Act. Under this Act an exemption has been permitted to enable working dogs to be docked.
The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 received the Royal Assent on 11 July and was enacted on 6 October 2006. The Scottish Executive has also prepared Guidance Notes to aid understanding of the provisions of the Act. Under this Act docking for other than therapeutic purposes is banned.
BVA Concerns
Clearly there are a number of differences between the two Acts and BVA has concerns over the practical implications, not least insofar as the docking of puppies' tails is concerned.
As the letter in The Veterinary Record of 10 March 2007 from Chris Laurence, Chair of the BSAVA Microchip Advisory Group pointed out, there are serious concerns at Defra’s suggestion that “vets are encouraged to dock the puppy’s tail and microchip them at the same time where they feel this is feasible”. The BVA endorses MAG’s advice that veterinary surgeons proposing to microchip puppies less than five days old exercise considerable caution and ensure that placement of the microchip in the normal site is particularly precise.
Despite Ministerial assurances that the docking exemption would be tightly drawn and would list the breeds to be exempted the regulations:
- provide for crossbreeds of different types of dogs to be exempted;
- provide for a far greater number of breeds of ‘working’ dogs to be exempted than listed in the consultation document including breeds not traditionally docked nor regularly used in the UK as working dogs;
- while there is a requirement for all exempt dogs to be microchipped, there are potentially major welfare concerns regarding microchipping puppies of under five days old. However, if they are not microchipped at the same time as they are docked it will be impossible for a vet to confirm that a puppy presented at a later date for microchipping is the same one that was previously docked; and
- the exemption does not provide for a central register of legally docked dogs nor even a stringent paper trail, leaving endless opportunities for abuse.
We have drawn our concerns to the attention of BVA Parliamentary Honorary Associates and Honorary Members and take some comfort from the fact that on 7 March 2007, due to the intervention of BVA and RCVS Honorary Associates The Countess of Mar and Baroness Byford when discussing the Docking of Working Dogs’ Tails (England) Regulations 2007 (members can see a link to the regulations) in Grand Committee, the Statutory Instrument was withdrawn pending further consideration.
Historical
Under the Animal Welfare Bill (England and Wales) and the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Bill (both now Acts) tail docking is considered to be a mutilation. However, when the Animal Welfare Bill was debated in the House of Commons on 14 March 2006 a free vote took place on the docking of dogs' tails. MPs voted to ban the docking of dogs' tails with the exception of certified working dogs. Read the debate. Subsequently the (then) chairman of the BVA Ethics Committe Lord Soulsby spoke eloquently on the Bill during its second reading debate in the Lords on 18th April, not least on the subject of docking.
Meanwhile Members of the Scottish Parliament's environment and rural development committee voted overwhelmingly for a complete ban on the docking of dogs' tails (22 March). Given the weight of opposition in committee to any exemptions, parliament followed the committee's lead and banned all tail docking (31 May).
BVA Information
Joint press release with RSPCA and BSAVA - 9th January 2006
BVA Policy Brief – Tail Docking in Dogs 
BVA Policy Statement on Tail Docking
BVA President's letter in The Veterinary Record
Suggestions as to issues to raise in a letter to your MP/MSP or for their contact details
RCVS
Advice from the RCVS (April 2007)
RCVS Council decision to ban non-therapeutic tail docking in dogs
BSAVA/BVA Questionnaire - Help collect public opinion
During this campaign it is likely that data will be required on the number of people against tail docking. You are in a unique position to obtain this information from your clients. Download and print the client questionnaire and ask your clients to fill it in. Send completed questionnaires to Sophie Broster, Client Questionnaires, BVA, 7 Mansfield Street, London W1G 9NQ.
| So far 1124 members of the public have sent in their questionnaires, 88% of which agree that "Puppies of these breeds [traditionally docked] should NOT have their tails cut off for non-medical purposes". |
You may also be interested in BSAVA's tail docking pages.
Vets Against Docking
Join the list to support a complete ban on the non-therapeutic docking of dog's tails.
Vets Against Docking (VAD) has been set up to give vets a chance to publicly and individually have their say and to help make Parliament realise that there is another side to this argument. Not only is there another side but there is a voice on that side that represents the profession that Parliament should be listening to.
VAD have set up a listing of veterinary surgeons who support a complete ban on all non- therapeutic docking of dogs' tails. If you would like to be added to the list please visit the site and register your interest: http://www.vetsagainstdocking.co.uk