Do you honestly think that your dog would want his only form of communication taken away, just because you think it looks more pleasing to the eye!

I am astounded at this poll and extremely dissapointed, since I honestly believed that any animal lover would be campaigning to ban this barbaric practise!

The following is copied from the RSPCA site-

A new MORI poll also shows that just eight per cent of the British public supports the docking of dogs’ tails for cosmetic reasons, while 75 per cent oppose the practice.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA), the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and the RSPCA are today urging Parliament to take notice of the public and of those who dedicate their lives to alleviate animal suffering – and ban this mutilation through the Animal Welfare Bill.

Docking 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.

“Currently the law only allows vets to perform this abhorrent amputation. The irony is that vets are united in their opposition to non-therapeutic tail docking of dogs,” says TV vet Emma Milne, who appeared in the BBC’s Vets in Practice.

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