This was taken from the Toronto National Post Thrusday Aug 9th 2001.

I thought it may be of some intrest to you all!

Veterinarians call for ban on 'cosmetic' dog surgeries
'Anything they can cut off they will cut off,' doctor says


Michael Higgins
National Post

Corbis


It has been standard practice for centuries for some breeds, such as the Doberman pinscher, to have their ears cropped or their tails removed.


An international conference of veterinarians in Vancouver is calling for a ban on tail docking and ear cropping of dogs.

Dr. Roger Clarke, from Melbourne, Australia, is leading the fight to get vets to sign an international accord addressing a long list of ethical and medical practices.

He said many breeders, kennel clubs, dog shows and owners inflict unnecessary pain on dogs by subjecting them to such surgery.

"Anything they can cut off they will cut off," Dr. Clarke said.

He is leading a worldwide effort to get veterinary medical associations to sign the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Convention on the Protection of Companion Animals.

It is hoped that would lead to individual vets not performing the procedures.

Eventually, the aim is to get legislation passed banning the practices. Britain and Australia already have such laws.

"These surgeries are considered cosmetic. If they are not needed, why do them?" said Dr. Terry Lake of Kamloops, B.C., chairman of the organizing committee for the World Congress, which began yesterday.

"All surgery has some pain and discomfort associated with it, even with the proper anaesthetic."

Some breeders claim the docking of certain dogs' tails is needed because they often bang them into objects, causing pain and bleeding.

But Dr. Lake said he has seen more problems with dogs injuring themselves because the docking had not been done properly.

Breeders carry out the procedures to increase their chances of winning shows, he said.

"If you have a dog with cropped ears against a dog without cropped ears then, in the main, the dog with cropped ears will win."

He said with some exceptions declawing and "debarking" should also be banned.

"There may be some good reasons to perform these surgeries, but there is also the educational aspect.

"I have a barking dog. I know what the problems are. I am training that dog to get him out of that behaviour."

The British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association has become the first North American signatory of the international accord.

"This is the first time we have made animal welfare issues a central theme of the main Congress program," said Dr. Claudio Brovida, international president of the WSAVA.

Dr. Clarke added: "Quite frankly, one of the reasons we chose Vancouver for this year's Congress was to start a positive trend in North America."

Dr. Clarke said practices such as docking, cropping, devocalization, declawing and defanging were alarmingly prevalent in North America.

It has been standard practice for centuries for some breeds of dogs to have their tails removed and the ir ears cropped.

Docking of tails is usually carried out when a puppy is two or three days old and ear cropping is performed to make a dog's ears stand up instead of hanging down.

Docked tails are the standard on breeds such as poodles, bulldogs, Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers. Cropped ears are usual on miniature schnauzers, Great Danes and boxers.

Dr. Dorothy Griggs, a dentist from Guelph, Ont., has been a breeder of miniature schnauzers since 1957.

"I just wish we could stop this insanity," she said of the vets' proposal. "The animal rights activists have really taken over."

Miniature schnauzers are "basically a man-made breed and docking and ear cropping were just considered routine."

Dr. Griggs said ear cropping could be beneficial to the dog because with the ears hanging down it could cause heat problems.

Sharon Lau-Wiffen, of the Miniature Schnauzers Club of Canada, said established breeders dock the tails and crop the ears as a standard.

Without such a standard, the dogs could be exploited by "backyard breeders" who would sell dogs without the proper pedigree.

Betty Rouse, of the Boxer Club of Canada, said many of the dogs were bred originally as fighting or guard dogs and the docking and cropping was done to prevent the tails and ears from being injured.

Now many people consider dogs with docked tails and cropped ears more alert and attractive, she said.

"I do not think these practices should be banned and I don't think many breeders do either. We should give people the choice."



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"A kitten is in the world of animals, what a rosebud is in a garden."
Robert Southey

Leslie-Ann,
Moderator,
Cats,
Feral Cats,
Herbal Remedies,
Pet Memorial,
and Just for Kids.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by mom of three again:

Breeders carry out the procedures to increase their chances of winning shows, he said.
"If you have a dog with cropped ears against a dog without cropped ears then, in the main, the dog with cropped ears will win.
Docked tails are the standard on breeds such as poodles, bulldogs, Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers. Cropped ears are usual on miniature schnauzers, Great Danes and boxers.
Now many people consider dogs with docked tails and cropped ears more alert and attractive, she said.
</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Here`s a perfect example of of a stunning rottweiler that could never win in the AKC ring. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]
He is 14 months old right now and already has two youth selects at USRC shows.

Oh my Lord that is a grorgious dog!!!! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I gotta say I hate activist putting thier noses in others peoples business and making rules and laws that "they" feel are better-what happened to individual right?

In the same breath though.....If these were human children, would any of us sit idilly by? I see no purpose in these procedures as well- there are lots of breeds that don't dock or crop and they do just fine with ears and tails.....I would NEVER doc or crop any animal! (Personal Oppinion.)

I do not however judge those that do-that is not my place. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] I have many friends that have done this-My aunt got a boxer and was going to do it -because that is what is expected and I asked her why and showed her some gorgious pictures of dogs without the surgery-she said I didn't think about it -well she did then and decided she loved her dog too much to that-He is a beautiul dog -ears and all!!! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] I saved one- but I would have respected her decision all the same.

I always want to make our clients come in to take care of their dog post surgery. This will never happen of course. They don't have to soothe a screaming, yes screaming, dog. The sound of an ear crop patient waking up is the worst thing. The dog's are in pain, even with pain medicine. I really hate ear crops. I feel that if the person isn't going to show the dog, then what is the point of ear cropping. With tail docking, the pups are so young. And it isn't as traumatic as the ear crop. But it is still quite painful.

Watch out, PETA is behind this! They have caused so much trouble and confusion all around the globe.

Granted this may seem wrong, to some, but ear cropping and tail docking are totally different. Ears often take a long time to heal and can be a real source of trouble long after the surgery.

Tail docking is done at 3 to 5 days and since our breed is docked I have so much experience and can assure you that when it is done, it is done. The pain doesn't linger on. And the tail, if left, is often mutilated during activity. A working rottweiler would be hindered by a tail. I will look for the article on the tail and get it to you.

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Lynn, "dog lover"
Moderator, Dog Breeds
Moderator, Show Ring & Grooming Tips

Rachel, I would like to know what the vet you are working for does that the puppies scream. Perhaps he is saving his money and never uses lidocaine along the cut line? In 11 years of breeding Boxers I cropped many puppies, and being a DVM and a president of a local Boxer club back home I've seen literally hundreds of puppies before, during and after the procedure. What a nonsense it is for me to read about dogs screaming in pain!!! IT IS NOT TRUE! You better tell us what this vet does wrong.

People, people, don't you see how PETA and alike wash out your brains? Isn't it a "double moral" that the vet who yells louder than anyone that docking and cropping is cruel goes to his little clinic and spays and neuters all the day long? So cutting the tail of a newborn pup is cruel - but major surgery like spaying, which is done for your own people comfort, is not?? And then another wave of brainwashing "we should spay and neuter for the health of our beloved pets". B.....it! There are NO health benefits! Why don't we spay and neuter ourselves then? How come that if you come to a european vet and ask him to spay your healthy bitch, 90 percent of them will refuse you? What, you never heard that? It's because this kind of info is not of any profit to PETA, that's why you don't know about it! ALL THEY WANT is to eliminate petownership (slavery they say). Spay and neuter - no more pets, how easy. They know that the breeders will go out of their business if PETA bans docking and cropping: hundreds of breeds will be destroyed then. Wake up people, use your heads, stop agreeing with anything you hear on TV and for God's sake protect our rights!

Those of you who know me probably wonder what gotten into me. Not my style definitely. I am so tired and afraid of all this PETA activity - they surround us, they are everywhere - in our mail, in our TVs, in our schools, in the eyes of those who let the minks run free and be killed on a highway and who dance in letuce leafs and who next day put decent closes on and tell you "Spay! Neuter! Don't dock! Don't crop!" My friend breeder from Finland told me about a big shot from american branch of PETA who toured scandinavia telling people what is moral and what is not. ONe of his perls was "We should let out cows run loose so that they can build their own nests in the woods". So much for animal lovers! Not even a simple knowledge is there..

I am not new to immigrating, I will be willing to move to another country again if PETA goes out of control here too, but the question is - will I be able to find a single island where I would live peacefully and breed better Boxers without old maids running around telling stories about how happy the cows in the woods are?.... Don't know, don't know.....

Rotti-gal,
here is my present for you [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] I do a lot of graphic design and as I call it "digital grooming" for the breeders, and the photo you posted inspired me [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] So, here he is, all docked! Also I open his eye a little and removed the parts of the handler from the background. Sorry didn't have a time to remove the car though.

he is a beautiful dog either way, i think in the edited picture he almost looks meaner and tougher, not as cuddly as the first. i think that's the whole purpose behind cropping and docking. most breeds that is done to were bred for fights. so even tho it is outlawed now, people like the look it gives the dog. besides, u wouldn't want a guard dog that looks like a teddy bear would u? anyway, i'm not for or against cropping and docking, i think the desicion should be left to the owner. but i don't think that docking and cropping should be required for shows. just my opinion though

I have noticed that the younger the pup, the better they handle the surgery.

Wow, Sasha! Thank you! This is a friend`s dog. That`s the way he would have looked if he had been born in the USA, and he`d be picking up lots of AKC points. I`m trying to get used to it, our club is getting lots of youth imports. They are much harder to work with! We`ve already had one injury, thankfully not seriuos.
Retro, your reaction is exactly what Germany wants. Please, I`m not saying You, I mean the public view. The rottweiler you know is a mean, tough dangerous dog that needs to be controlled, even elimated. They are always on the news, a snarling pic behind the news anchor while he tells of yet another dog attack. The story could be any large breed rott or pit mix stray that runs loose in the streets, but what you see is the rott.
That is the same cuddly puppy in both pics. The only difference is that tail. Rotts are working dogs, and those big, strong tails get in the way. A dog that has to have a damaged tail cut off makes me want to cry! It`s not cropping or docking or neutering, it`s painfull major surgery.

Rotties clothes. That's exactly what PETA wants: once the image of the breed is destroyed, nobody needs them anymore, and the breed dies. Face it - Rotty is protective dog and should stay this way, just let's euthanase all the irresponsible owners. Now why would anybody want a Rott if a Lab is absolutely the same, just eats less?

Is it what you guys want?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Sasha:

We value every breed for their very own temperament.
Rottweiler was created as a dog that looks tough and makes you freeze around him. Hope you forgive for not listing the whole history of this noble breed here, but the main idea many of our ancestors had in mind is in the sentence above. That's mostly why our ancestors needed them. Many of Rottweilers are cuddly, nothing is wrong with that, but UNFORTUNATELY too many of them are becoming LABS. General public doesn't see all the disadvantages of that, but once the temperament is lost, the breed is lost too.
Leaving a long tail on Rotties will lead to the point where the breed is destroyed. There are million of reasons for that, and decline will follow. Changing the look and breeding conformationally different dogs leads to complete temperament loss. ...Then we won't see Rotties anymore, but Labs in Rotties clothes. That's exactly what PETA wants: once the image of the breed is destroyed, nobody needs them anymore, and the breed dies. Face it - Rotty is protective dog and should stay this way, just let's euthanase all the irresponsible owners. Now why would anybody want a Rott if a Lab is absolutely the same, just eats less?
</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

BRAVO SASHA!!!!

n they are moms. The popular notion is that rotties are bad moms. This is just not so. As Sasha said, stop believing everything you hear and do some research. Unfortunately we are living in a world where "perception is reality".

And my vets all use novacaine or lidacaine before docking. My puppies usually just flinch and don't even cry out. And they do cry out when mom tries to get up and they are still nursing or steps or lies against them. So how do we guage pain?

We seem to have gotten on some soap boxes. let me search for that article.

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Lynn, "dog lover"
Moderator, Dog Breeds
Moderator, Show Ring & Grooming Tips

[This message has been edited by Rottnbelle (edited August 14, 2001).]

Okay, I just thought of another one.

How come we can take a human puppy and at 8 days of age remove its foreskin? This is a procedure that is commanded of the religious and goes back about 6,000 years. I suppose we could parade around the front of hospitals with signs that demand that circumcision be banned!

Yike!

Sasha I am surprised that you have never seen a cow's nest. They like the low branches so are pretty easy to spot.

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Lynn, "dog lover"
Moderator, Dog Breeds
Moderator, Show Ring & Grooming Tips

1000 lb. wild animals prancing through the woods! ROFLMAO!! Now that`s scarey! But cows are so cute.....

Actually you are right Rottnbelle, how stupid of me to forget that when you spot them flying, they usually carry a log or two in their mouths. Definite nesting behavior! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Now, Rotty-gal, if you don't tell me WHERE you took such adorable smilies from, I will tell everybody I saw you were drinking milk from a poor confined cow, and yeah, PETA will come after you! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

F="http://www.plauder-smilies.com/" TARGET=_blank>www.plauder-smilies.com/</A>

I just had to put this one in for a laugh!



[This message has been edited by rotti-gal (edited August 15, 2001).]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Rottnbelle:

My vet is also very surprised with my girls when they are moms. The popular notion is that rotties are bad moms. This is just not so.
</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It's funny Rottnbelle, I have met many a rotti and dobie bitch either pregnant or as a new mom and they are seem very gentle and very loving. I have never had this notion that they are bad moms! I guess it is just a perception that they look evil the news says they are evil they must be bad moms???


------------------
"A kitten is in the world of animals, what a rosebud is in a garden."
Robert Southey

Leslie-Ann,
Moderator,
Cats,
Feral Cats,
Herbal Remedies,
Pet Memorial,
and Just for Kids.