Canine tail and ear-cropping banned

Clipping the tail or cropping the ears of your dog may fetch you a few prizes at the dog show, but now, it may land you in jail. The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has issued an advisory against the docking of tails and cropping of ears of particular breeds such as the Doberman, Cocker Spaniel and Boxers, among other dog breeds.According to the advisory, such non-therapeutic acts will henceforth be considered mutilation, which falls under the ambit of cruelty and therefore a punishable offence under Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. The advisory has urged the Veterinary Council of India to issue directions to all their registered veterinarians (government and private), state veterinary councils and colleges to stop the practice of tail docking and ear cropping.“This has not been covered under the legislation so far and when we read about it in a publication brought out by the Kennel Club of India, we realised the seriousness of the issue,” said Khushboo Gupta, Coordinator, Current Events Response Centre, Federation of Indian Animals Protection Organisation.Tail docking, the removal or amputation of the dog’s tail, which is usually done as a part of a surgical process, is now carried out for cosmetic and maintenance purposes. “Earlier, tail docking used to be done on hunting dogs because their tails could get caught in the bushes in the forests, but these days, it is a mere cosmetic procedure,” says Dr S M Arvind Kumar, a city-based veterinarian.Ear cropping, where a portion of the ear is surgically removed, involves cutting and shaping of the ear pinna (the floppy part of the ears) to make the ears stand erect. This procedure, which is associated with the myth that it can help prevent rabies, is usually carried out on dogs that participate in ribbon tournaments.According to a representative from FIAPO, such mutilation procedures are painful to the animals, and might even lead to death if carried out on a new born pup.However, Dr Arvind informs, “Just like any other surgical procedure, even these will hurt and don’t cause the dogs any harm or do them good, as well.” Khushboo says, “If one comes across these procedures being carried out on a dog, they can go to the police station with the issue.” Such acts are punishable under Sections 428 and 429 of  the Indian Penal Code, she adds. [email protected]