Americans are getting smart!

New Brunswick veterinarians have voted to ban cosmetic surgery such as tail bobbing, dew claw removal and ear cropping by their members.

Association members approved the ban at their recent annual general meeting.

It's a move that's raising some concerns among dog breeders in the province.

But Dr. Jim Berry of the Douglas Animal Hospital said there's no reason for those procedures. He has long counselled customers against putting their pets through the pain of a procedure recommended by some breed standards set by groups.

There's evidence that the procedures hurt animals and can lead to long-term pain.

"Puppies cry when it's done," said Berry, a past-president of the New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association's representative on the provincial association's board.

"What we're talking about here is cosmetic surgery. The definition of that is an alteration for purely cosmetic purposes that has no medical or health benefits for the animal."

Dwain McLean is a member of Fredericton Kennel Club, and he's also the Canadian Kennel Club's director for New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

"Our club was disappointed that the NBVMA even proposed and then passed such a proposal without consulting breeders," he said Thursday.

"We would hope that the decision of the veterinarians would not force breeders to attempt these things at home or have to go outside.''

Tail bobbing and dew claw removal must be carried out when puppies are between three and five days of age, he said.

Having the procedure done by a veterinarian in the province is the safest option.

"That's one of the reasons we're going to a veterinary hospital, to have it done in safe, sanitary standards with a veterinarian there," said McLean, who breeds American cockerspaniel, Yorkshire terriers, and Labrador retrievers.

He said it's his understanding the animals have a higher threshold for pain in the early days of life.

Breeders are passionate about their dogs and shouldn't be painted as acting cruelly, he said.

He noted that an exception to the rules has been made to remove the claws on domestic cats.

Berry said that's because there are concerns about the abandonment and euthanization of cats that aren't declawed.

He said he suspects individuals will have to travel farther to find veterinarians willing to perform the procedures.

He said he hopes the group's move will have an impact on other jurisdictions.

"Personally, what I hope happens is that other veterinary associations pick up on this and do the same," Berry said, noting that in many countries the practices are banned.

Dr. Alice Crook, co-ordinator of Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, said New Brunwsick vets are taking the fore.

"I think that the NBVMA is showing real leadership in this area.

"One of the main reasons I'm excited about it is that many people don't know that many of the breeds we see with short tails, actually are born with long tails."

I'm well impressed with this, I never thoght I would see a story about American vets refusing to dock tails or crop ears! Both are cruel and unneccessary procedures, done for the sake of mindless owners, not for the dog. It took me ages to find a rottweiller with a full tail in the UK, but Zac was worth the wait. He wags his tail like a proper dog. And communicates with other dogs with it, instead of appearing to be showing a defensive posture to them by having his tail hidden, which just encourages other dogs to be aggressive. In fact, Zac has never had a fight, or even come close to having one, because both he and the other dog can read their natural visual communications. And as an added bonus, people who would normally back off when they see a Rottie in the park don't. Because he's got his tail wagging. And now docking is illegal in the UK, as cropping has been for a long time, we will finally see a lot more wagging tails!
Just a sidenote, a friend of mine and her husband spent a huge ammount of money on a Boxer, because they decided to spend their retirement breeding Boxers. They produced one litter, got some woman to cut their tails off, and sold the puppies. Now the docking ban is in effect, and they refuse to ever breed another Boxer again, because they don't want to see one with a tail! I think this is great news. People that stupid shouldn't breed dogs. Ond now they won't be.