The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes the docking of dogs' tails a criminal offence. There are however, some exceptions to this law for example where it is a working dog that might damage its tail in the course of a working day, or for medical reasons. The docking of tails is unrestricted in Ireland, so perhaps they came over from there. Certainly many dog rescue charities bring dogs over from Ireland.
So why did I see so many dogs with docked tails yesterday at a fun dog show? Was this a working Rottweiler, or was it over 6 years old. There are many reasons why I might have seen so many docked tails legally, but there were just so many that it just seems that people are still getting away with docking tails.
Was this a working terrier? It might have wagged its tail so hard that it was damaged and had to be surgically amputated, or it might be owned by someone who uses it for vermin control. I wonder.. Actually I did see a Doberman with cropped ears yesterday! Definitely not legal in the UK.
And what about this Boxer puppy? Was it born in Ireland? Did it have an unfortunate wagging accident in the last couple of weeks? Does anyone in the UK pay attention to the Animal Welfare Act? I'm sure if asked, all these owners would have a legitimate reason for owning a dog with a docked tail. I am just wondering why there are still so many around.
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