Should Ear Cropping and Tail Docking be Made Illegal?

I love my ears, why can't you?

Medically Necessary or Cosmetic surgery?

Recently, Banfield Pet hospitals have started discontinuing both ear crops and tail docking procedures because both practices are considered primarily cosmetic procedures that go against the overall health and wellness standards its internal panel of experienced veterinarians strive to offer. The practicing veterinarians of this largest veterinary practice in the world (more than 730 hospitals across the states) however will still offer both procedures only when deemed ''medically necessary''.

Medically necessary is really the wording that helps make the difference between something performed only with the client's interest in mind from something performed with the dog's interest in mind. Indeed, both ear crops and tail docks are mostly performed for aesthetic reasons, in other words just to make the dog look more '' visually appealing'' to the owner's eyes.

For those not familiar with these terms, ear cropping consists of cutting off up to about two/thirds of the dog's ears when the puppy is between the age of 9 to 12 weeks old. This surgery requires general anesthesia and good follow up care to ensure the dog's ear stand up properly. Tail docking on the other hand, is the mutilation of a dog's tail and is done when the puppy is only 3 to 5 days old. It is generally done without the use of anesthetics.

Both of these procedures cause pain in dogs, but what makes them more relevant, is the fact that in most cases, such surgeries are done when not medically necessary. This means that both practices are somewhat similar to the ''cosmetic surgery'' used in humans. While many people are favorable to making both practices illegal, there are many who often refer to ''their rights'' to perform such surgeries on their dogs.

Whose Rights are we Talking About?

Yet, one must realize what rights are being considered. The right to make of a dog an object to please the owner's ego? The right to transform an animal into a fashion accessory? The right to perform cosmetic surgery on a defenseless animal? Some will state that in order to show thier dogs in the show ring and make money, they must have their dog's ears cropped and tails docked. 

This is mostly fault of breed clubs that have elected for many years to make ear cropping a ''breed standard.''. In other words, the practice of ear cropping is perceived as ''preserving breed character'', giving once again more importance to looks  than the animal's wellbeing. This causes in show dog owners the need to get their dogs cropped in order to adhere to the breed standards and win ribbons. 

The AVMA has attempted several times to oppose ear cropping and tail docking when done for cosmetic reasons only. However, the AKC has posed a ''deaf ear'' to such requests and has held tight to maintaining its ''breed standards''. Yet, according toVeterinarynewsdvm360, out of 70 veterinarians polled about ear cropping, 80% claimed they would be in favor of banning forever such surgeries.

As of today, ear cropping is banned in many civilized European countries, Australia, Israel, Singapore, South Africa and New Zealand while it  is considered an illegal practice in Newfoundland and Labrador under the 1978 Animal Protection Act. Hopefully, one day such practices will be banned from the rest of the world and dogs will finally receive the same unconditional love they have provided humans for centuries. As Gandhi claimed, ''The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.''

Vet explains why Ear Crops Should not be Performed

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