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30th September 2009
Countryside Alliance Ireland (CAI) has been deeply involved throughout the consultative process on the proposed changes to the Animal Welfare Legislation in Northern Ireland. As a respondent to the consultation, CAI was asked to attend a workshop in Belfast on 17th September to discuss the new proposals.
We were utterly amazed at the proposals and by the Department’s intention to ban tail docking in its entirety. Indeed, we specifically believe that the prophylactic docking of working dogs tails contributes to their welfare and will strongly oppose any action to alter the current practice and as voiced at the workshop will campaign vehemently to ensure that an exemption for working dogs is included within primary legislation.
| | Tail docking is the procedure of shortening a dog's tail to help prevent damage from occurring. The Welfare of Animals Act 1972 permits the docking of dogs tails before their eyes are open, which normally occurs at the age of 10-14 days.
Prof. Dr. T. Fritsch, Leader of the Clinic Of Veterinary Surgeons, justuslieberg-University, has explained that the docking of tails in puppies less than 4 days old without anaesthetic, is not connected with any serious pain in such a way that it cannot be allowed from the point of view of the protection of animals. Mr J. Walsby MRCVS, Past President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, also explains “When docking is carried out proficiently on whelps aged 2-7 days, there is a minimal amount of momentary discomfort and the puppies can immediately resume sucking on the dam with no sign of distress to either dam or whelp.”
CAI does not accept that the pain associated with the docking of newly whelped puppies is sufficient cause to render the practice unacceptable. There is no evidence in adult gundogs of the memory of any pain associated with neonatal docking. Gundogs are accepted as amongst the most placid and stoical of all the dog breeds and adult working gundogs pay little regard to any discomfort which may be involved in hunting through dense thorny cover.
In a survey undertaken in 1990 by the Swedish German Pointer Club, following a general prohibition on docking, injuries were found to include bleeding and damaged tail tips, (light, medium and severe injuries, especially to the last 10cm of tail), infected and inflamed tails, lameness injury and water tail, and broken tails. The degree of injury was related to the ‘liveliness of the dog and the tail’ (tail action), the extent to which the dog has hunted and the nature of the terrain over which it had hunted. Of the dogs reported injured, 10% required amputation.
Amputation of an adult dog’s tail is a major act of veterinary surgery which requires anaesthetic and an extended period of convalescence, which could be simply prevented shortly after birth by the small procedure.
Injuries usually result in sores at the tip of the tail, (from hitting against hard objects, in the house, kennel or hunting for game) which do not heal well because there is a poor blood circulation in this part of the tail. This can sometimes be treated with partial amputation, but secondary problems can occur in the healing process because the very poor blood supply is not conducive to this. This makes it necessary to amputate the tail several times before the healing process is achieved.
Another common procedure undertaken shortly after birth is the removal of dew claws, which is necessary in order to avoid later damages and illnesses. A dog can easily catch them on different objects because they hang on the side of their paws, a non-functioning object that can therefore damage them quite seriously. It is therefore in the interest of the dog to recommend that these claws are removed as early as possible as well.
We believe that it is better to avoid suffering and improve a dog’s welfare throughout its working life by continuing the procedure of tail docking. We have written to the Department re-iterating our stance and urge you to write to the Minister, Michelle Gildernew MP, MLA to voice your concerns.
