A close look at what tail docking actually involves, why it persisted long after its rationale collapsed and how a recent conviction brings South African law back into focus.
Tail docking a dog is maiming, extremely painful and deprives a dog of a vital communication system. For these reasons, it's banned in South Africa.
But it persists: hunting dogs, spaniels, Jack Russells, Rottweilers and boerboels without tails are a common sight -- many of them young dogs, clearly born after the practice was outlawed under the Animals Protection Act.
After pursuing a case for nearly two years, in December the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) secured a conviction against a breeder, Carlene Coetzee, after inspectors found seven puppies hidden under a wheelbarrow in her garage. All had maimed tails. She was sentenced to a fine of R20,000 or 10 months' imprisonment.
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The case has drawn attention not because tail docking is new, but because it's so familiar -- and so quietly routine --that it has often slipped beneath scrutiny.
What docking involves
Tail docking is the partial amputation of a dog's tail. It is usually performed when puppies are between two and five days old. At that age, the tail already contains bone, muscle, tendons, blood vessels and nerves. The nervous system is active and pain perception is present.
The procedure itself varies. Some breeders use surgical scissors or...
