(no subject)
Feb. 3rd, 2004 12:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nigeltdeVery happy to hear today that tail docking is in the process of being banned in Australia as we speak. A number of people, mostly breeders, are quite angry about it. For my part, I cannot see how the amputation of what is essentially a limb can be justified on cosmetic or medical grounds. Surely some breeds are only seen as prettier without tails because that's Tradition, that's How It's Always Been Done, that's how we're used to them? I'd rather see the natural rather than the unnatural version at any rate.
And the medical arguments are even worse. Tails need to be docked as a preventative measure, to stop them getting worse injuries when they're older. My mother owns a Great Dane. He has a bald spot on the end of his tail where he kept bashing it when he was younger. When he got over-excited there used to be sprays of blood on the walls going higher than your head. Luckily it was never serious, but if he had irrevocably damaged it, he would have had to undergo a stressful, painful and debilitating amputation. Personally, I would rather accept my share of the blame in not taking better care of him than decide to chop the tails off of all Dane pups. Yes, dogs can do damage to their tails. I bet I'll break a finger or two in my lifetime, I might even break my legs and have them go gangrenous, so should I have them all chopped off JUST IN CASE? And don't come to me saying that it's too dangerous for working (ie hunting) breeds to have tails because of rough vegetation, etc. If hunting is so fucking dangerous, STOP KILLING ANIMALS FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT.
The argument that breeds with a great deal of hair need their tails docked to prevent an unsavoury and unhealthy buildup of faeces is simply ridiculous, because it conveniently ignores the fact that there's JUST as much hair on the back of the legs, and anyway what about breeds like Golden Retrievers, should we start docking them too, and ANYWAY it doesn't apply to short-haired breeds like Dobies.
Some claim that docking in very very young pups is painless and that therefore there's no case against it (which of course doesn't address the matter of those pups who are slightly older). Well, I've no firsthand experience, but I think I'll side with the legions of disagreeing, qualified veterinarians on that matter.
It irks me to say we should take away someone's right to choose, but surely the rights of the animals trump the breeder's/owner's tenfold. Laws are there to protect others from the harmful choices of some, after all.
And the medical arguments are even worse. Tails need to be docked as a preventative measure, to stop them getting worse injuries when they're older. My mother owns a Great Dane. He has a bald spot on the end of his tail where he kept bashing it when he was younger. When he got over-excited there used to be sprays of blood on the walls going higher than your head. Luckily it was never serious, but if he had irrevocably damaged it, he would have had to undergo a stressful, painful and debilitating amputation. Personally, I would rather accept my share of the blame in not taking better care of him than decide to chop the tails off of all Dane pups. Yes, dogs can do damage to their tails. I bet I'll break a finger or two in my lifetime, I might even break my legs and have them go gangrenous, so should I have them all chopped off JUST IN CASE? And don't come to me saying that it's too dangerous for working (ie hunting) breeds to have tails because of rough vegetation, etc. If hunting is so fucking dangerous, STOP KILLING ANIMALS FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT.
The argument that breeds with a great deal of hair need their tails docked to prevent an unsavoury and unhealthy buildup of faeces is simply ridiculous, because it conveniently ignores the fact that there's JUST as much hair on the back of the legs, and anyway what about breeds like Golden Retrievers, should we start docking them too, and ANYWAY it doesn't apply to short-haired breeds like Dobies.
Some claim that docking in very very young pups is painless and that therefore there's no case against it (which of course doesn't address the matter of those pups who are slightly older). Well, I've no firsthand experience, but I think I'll side with the legions of disagreeing, qualified veterinarians on that matter.
It irks me to say we should take away someone's right to choose, but surely the rights of the animals trump the breeder's/owner's tenfold. Laws are there to protect others from the harmful choices of some, after all.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-02 10:28 pm (UTC)Another explanation is, of course, the Guard Dog one - attack dogs look less friendly if they have no tails to wag. But they ain't gonna say *that*.
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Date: 2004-02-03 07:19 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-03 10:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-03 02:51 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-05 05:12 am (UTC)And that's a bad thing...how? :-)
I didn't even realise it was still being practiced
Well there you go for assuming human beings are capable of moving beyond barbarism...
Nah, I mean, we *are* getting rid of it, and ear cropping is already banned - better late than never, I guess.
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Date: 2004-02-05 05:16 am (UTC)Tsk tsk, so cynical at such a young age ;)
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Date: 2004-02-05 05:31 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-05 05:11 pm (UTC)