"Thankfully in the UK the unethical practice of ear cropping and tail docking on dogs for cosmetic purposes is illegal."

 

The Central Asian Ovcharka is a breed accustomed to both practices of ear cropping and tail docking due to working reasons.  The need to perform these practices no longer exists and so is illegal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CROPPING OF DOGS EARS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

 

The United Kingdom has banned unethical ear cropping for over 100 years.  In 1895 our then King Edward VII expressing his opinion to stop ear cropping to the Kennel Club. 

DOCKING OF DOGS TAILS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

 

It was introduced by DEFRA to update legislation relating to the protection and welfare of Animals. It was accepted that the Protection of Animals Act 1911 was outdated and needed enhancing according to modern day good practice and advances in veterinary science.

 

In brief, any person responsible for an animal has a legal duty to ensure that its needs are met as required by 'good practice'. Good practice guidelines are to be published by DEFRA and will be similar to those of The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000. These include:

  • the need for a suitable environment
  • the need for a suitable diet
  • the need to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
  • any need to be housed with or apart from other animals, and
  • the need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
   

Unethical cropping of tails banned under the:

Animal Welfare Act 2006  

CHAPTER 45

Section 6

6 Docking of dogs’ tails

 

(1) A person commits an offence if—

(a) he removes the whole or any part of a dog’s tail, otherwise than for the

purpose of its medical treatment;

(b) he causes the whole or any part of a dog’s tail to be removed by another

person, otherwise than for the purpose of its medical treatment.

 

(2) A person commits an offence if—

(a) he is responsible for a dog,

(b) another person removes the whole or any part of the dog’s tail,

otherwise than for the purpose of its medical treatment, and

(c) he permitted that to happen or failed to take such steps (whether by

way of supervising the other person or otherwise) as were reasonable

in all the circumstances to prevent that happening.

 

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply if the dog is a certified working dog that

is not more than 5 days old.

 

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3), a dog is a certified working dog if a

veterinary surgeon has certified, in accordance with regulations made by the

appropriate national authority, that the first and second conditions mentioned

below are met.

 

(5) The first condition referred to in subsection (4) is that there has been produced

to the veterinary surgeon such evidence as the appropriate national authority

may by regulations require for the purpose of showing that the dog is likely to

be used for work in connection with—

(a) law enforcement,

(b) activities of Her Majesty’s armed forces,

(c) emergency rescue,

(d) lawful pest control, or

(e) the lawful shooting of animals.

 

(6) The second condition referred to in subsection (4) is that the dog is of a type

specified for the purposes of this subsection by regulations made by the

appropriate national authority.

 

(7) It is a defence for a person accused of an offence under subsection (1) or (2) to

show that he reasonably believed that the dog was one in relation to which

subsection (3) applies.

 

(8) A person commits an offence if—

(a) he owns a subsection (3) dog, and

(b) fails to take reasonable steps to secure that, before the dog is 3 months

old, it is identified as a subsection (3) dog in accordance with

regulations made by the appropriate national authority.

 

(9) A person commits an offence if—

(a) he shows a dog at an event to which members of the public are

admitted on payment of a fee,

(b) the dog’s tail has been wholly or partly removed (in England and Wales

or elsewhere), and

(c) removal took place on or after the commencement day.

 

(10) Where a dog is shown only for the purpose of demonstrating its working

ability, subsection (9) does not apply if the dog is a subsection (3) dog.

 

(11) It is a defence for a person accused of an offence under subsection (9) to show

that he reasonably believed—

(a) that the event was not one to which members of the public were

admitted on payment of an entrance fee,

(b) that the removal took place before the commencement day, or

(c) that the dog was one in relation to which subsection (10) applies.

 

(12) A person commits an offence if he knowingly gives false information to a

veterinary surgeon in connection with the giving of a certificate for the

purposes of this section.

 

(13) The appropriate national authority may by regulations make provision about

the functions of inspectors in relation to—

(a) certificates for the purposes of this section, and

Animal Welfare Act 2006 (c.

(b) the identification of dogs as subsection (3) dogs.

 

(14) Power to make regulations under this section includes power—

(a) to make different provision for different cases, and

(b) to make incidental, supplementary, consequential or transitional

provision or savings.

 

(15) Before making regulations under this section, the appropriate national

authority shall consult such persons appearing to the authority to represent

any interests concerned as the authority considers appropriate.

 

(16) In this section—

“commencement day” means the day on which this section comes into

force;

“subsection (3) dog” means a dog whose tail has, on or after the

commencement day, been wholly or partly removed without

contravening subsection (1), because of the application of subsection

(3).