Do-it-yourself pet surgery?? People are MAD if they feel they are entitled to clip tails, ears or any other appendages off animals. Not only should this be prohibited, but people who do this without being a licensed doctor should be charged with felony cruelty to animals. If everyone followed the golden rule, we would need far less laws and policemen and have more peace.

Elizabeth, I am totally with you on this! I have two beautiful pitbulls with their natural ears and tails intact and I would not even THINK about hacking off either of those appendages by myself at home, or even under the care of a veterinarian! Animals are born with their ears, tails, and nails for a reason, how dare anyone think that they have the right to remove those appendages whether it be at home or with a licensed veterinarian..either way, it causes the animal great pain! What is wrong with people?!!

This is crazy practice!! What century do we actually live in now?
I have a miniature pinscher, unfortunately when I got him, his tail was already docked! But I kept his ears natural and he looks sooo adorable with what i call "flip flop" ears! I hate it when people ask me when his ears are not pointy like the OTHER min pins they have seen!!

I think an even better counter-argument is that in the eyes of the law and much of the public, pets and livestock are not the same thing. Much of what is allowed to livestock would be cruelty against a dog or cat. If we allow do it yourself surgery on pets based on what is allowed of farmers, we might as well allow people to electrocute, beat, confine, and malnourish their pets as well. If we base pet ownership laws around farm laws, it should be perfectly fine to acquire a dog, slit it's living throat, and eat it.

But it's not, because most people are capable of having compassion toward their pets where they are not willing to extend it to all creatures. I would argue that people who are fine with causing their animals pain and engaging in practices - no matter how legal - that cause their "beloved" companion to bleed obviously do not even feel this amount of compassion and must see their animals as objects, trophies, or tools.

Ijust cannot understand why people have no compassion for animals,
they seem to enjoy inflicting pain in all manners, all ways, they can. Please god let them see the terrible pain they inflict on these defensless creatures.

I threw my lunch away when I read this. I don't understand why? I mean people don't perform do-it-yourself surgery on each other. But some sick s.o.b probably is somewhere. Can something be done about this? Can you imagine how many ppl really don't know what they are doing and some innocent baby is suffering in pain and dies. PPl that do this are abusers to me and more than likely harm ppl too.

This isn't "surgery" - it is mutilation - period.

Shandy looks so handsome with his ears intact!

I don't understand why people feel they need to lop off half their dog's ears. And to be allowed to just do this at home. That's insane.

BTW, I love the larger font size. Makes the Blog easier to read. Thanks!

I can't believe that a so called humanitarian country as the USA can let these kind of cruelty laws pass, here in the UK, it would never be allowed, only because we have the protection of the RSPCA..THE ROYAL PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, I think the state of virginia is one place I would not care to visit.

I thought we were suppose to progress with each new Century.
It's almost like we are going backwards.

I do think that more people need informed about this. I don't want to go into the ear crop or no ear crop debate, but I have been in dogs all of my life, and just recently found out how common this practice really is. It sort of lurks in the dark, but seems quite acceptable by q lot of people.

I think the AKC needs lobbied to ask all parent clubs to put this in their code of ethics, that everyone would agree to only use licenced veterinarians to perform any kind of surgery.

I do know of people who have had their dogs bebarked by vets and it sounds like a surgery that would be aweful performed by lay people.

As for ear crops- how do they sedate them? I have even asked people that have had non-vets do this, and their answer has been that they didn't want to know- WHAT? It is your dog! Also- how do these lay people learn this practice, how many animals are tortured by their mistakes.

I know of one person who does this and they are not ethical in any area of their dogs.

There's nothing wrong with doing procedures like these if a person is knwledgeable and uses proper procedures. One doesnt have to be a vet to have that. DIY procedures on humans have saved ppls lives too in cases where medical help was not available.

>>>KP's Response:

Dear Anonymous,
Cutting a dog's tail or ears off isn't a life-saving procedure. It's done purely for "aesthetic" reasons, which makes it doubly cruel.
KP

You said it best "I keep picturing these mean" or rather "In your head" you have visions but that is all they are. You have no idea what someone would do in their own home operating on their own pet. This is the USA the land of the free is it not? Anyway I don't want to debate this to much but if cropping a dogs ears is banned which does in fact does have some benefits for the dog in some cases then am I incorrect in saying that circumcision should also be banned as it is only cosmetic. One could argue that it is about hygiene and then I could argue that your parents should have taught you then how to wash better. The only reason so many have an issue with cropping is for lack of understanding and those that just feel they "must" be the wrench.

I personally have never believed in Tail docking of Dogs.

I believe that if such things are to be undertaken they should be done as humanely as possible and must be of DIRECT benefit to the animal. When it comes to sheep sometimes docking is necessary. Growing up on a farm I remember hot summers when lambs (who were not yet docked) would get fly strike. This would end up in the animal being eaten alive by flies. Not a plesant experience for the animal or the farmer trying to save the sheep by cleaning out the wound thoroughly, thus sometimes causing intense pain for the animal, more than if the tail had been removed (by quaterisation) at a young age.

In a situation with dogs or cats I am always appaled at how little some people know about the process. Especially when I hear about people who just think that docking is an ordinary thing for all breeders to do and that it doesn't cause any distress to the animals. Wouldn't you notice if one second your tail was there and the next second it was gone?

>>>KP's Response:

Hi Mellisa,
I'm glad you're against tail-docking in dogs, but did you know that it's not necessary to do it to sheep either? There are lots of ways to avoid flystrike that don't involve any mutilation. In fact, PETA has a whole campaign on this topic. Check out SaveTheSheep.com and see what you think.
KP