Cute but cruel

Source : Kutlwano

Author : Kabo Keaketwse

Location : gaborone

Event : interview

Ever  wondered why certain dog spec ies do not have tails? Well, it is for cosmetic reasons say those who a rg ue th at they love dogs without tails. 

Such dogs have their t ai ls amputated when they are just three to five days old. It is ca lled tail docking. 

Local dog breeder, Gopolang Omphemetse who keeps different dog breed, says he cut s hi s dogs’ tails so that they look good and attractive to his customers.

Omphemetse says dogs with docked tails are in high dema nd since many people prefer them to those with tails.

“ They look cute and many people are fond of them and th at is why I do it to satisfy the taste of my customers,” says Omphemetse. 

A blogger on alexadry.hubpages.com aptly puts it thus: “It’s a tai l amputation, done in certain breeds [partic ularly Rottweiler, Bulldog and boerbul l] for aesthetic reasons”. 

Interestingly, tail docking has sparked a huge debate on whether such does not infringe on animal rights. 

Amid such some cou ntries in the l ikes of Norw ay, Sweden and Switzerland are mulling over passing laws that ban dog tai l docki ng for cosmetic reasons.

The reason to ban the practice is that a tail plays a vital role in a dog’s life. According to www.jackinabox.hubpages.com, dogs use their tails for communicating. They express happiness, aggression, stress and many other emotions with their tail .

“The t ail is important as a means of counter balance when the dog is carrying out complicated movements such as leaping, walking along narrow structures or climbing,” says the site. 

It says dogs w ithout tai ls may encounter problems in communicating fear, pl ay or aggression when around other dogs. 

This could cause serious miscommunications a nd eventu ally fights.

Consequent ly, some animal rights activists argue that dog tail docking infringes on the anima l ’s rights and at worst, cruelty to animals.

On the contrary, Omphemetse feels he is not being cruel to his dogs as the amputation is done with a castrating rubber when the animal is only two weeks old.

Omphemetse argues th at at this stage the animal does not show the feeling of pain unlike when it is a month older and more.

However, according to informat ion on the Internet, a puppy is able to properly perceive pa in because it has a nervous system. 

“ While a puppy may not necessarily squea l or voca lize from pain during a tail dock (even though most do) there are ot her ‘tell tail signs’ that can sug gest pai n and even lot s of it,” says Hub pages.

Botswan a Society for the Prevention of Cruelt y to Animals chair person, Adele Ntobedzi, also holds the view that it is wrong to practice tail docking and describes it as  cruelty to animals.

Ntobedzi concurs that some countries have banned tail docking for cosmetic reasons citing the South African Veterinary Council, which she says no longer condones routine tail docking of puppies by veterinarians because it is in contravention of the Animal Protection Act. 

It is only allowed when done for therapeutic reasons. However, Ntobedzi says unlike in South Africa, tail docking is still acceptable in Botswana if carried out by a qualified veterinarian. 

She is not sure when Botswana will start banning the practice given growing worldwide condemnation.

 

 

 

 

Teaser:

Dogs with docked tails are in high demand since many people prefer them to those with tails. “They look cute and many people are  fond of them and that is why I do it to satisfy the taste of my customers...