The tail end: missing the point

The video circulating online of a dog cruelly having its tail docked in China is, I must say, no surprise. Nor is the admission from Beijing veterinary clinics that they perform cosmetic operations such as docking, declawing and debarking. But just this once, let's not think this is just a China problem. Whilst it is certainly true that docking is now looked down upon or banned in most of Europe and a number of other Western countries, this has only happened in the last few years.

Tail docking has been an ingrained tradition for many breeds of dog for decades, and whilst we may berate the owners for wanting such vain procedures performed on their animals, we must also acknowledge the role of dog breeders and kennel clubs in perpetuating these supposed ideals of beauty. Considering that modern dog breeds have all been created by humans through domestication, it is ludicrous to think there is an ideal. The ideal is what we create, and that must clearly be what is most comfortable and healthy for the dog breed, not what is seen as cute or convenient for owners or show audiences.

But let us not think that the medical "choices" for dogs are not subject to some level of human intervention. After all, we neuter animals because we know this is the most convenient thing for us and for society. Neutering dogs means we don't have unwanted animals roaming around, and we have no problem with this. However, vets defending tail docking and other frivolous procedures for all but very specific cases - where in fact the procedure would be medical rather than cosmetic - smacks of vets knowing this is a good moneymaking device.

Tail docking might seem cruel and unnecessary, but what about owners in places like the US who replace their dogs' removed testicles after neutering with fake, silicon testicles called "Neuticles?" Apparently more than one million sets of these have been implanted into imbecilic owners' dogs. The warped excuse that it helps the dog "retain its natural look and get over the trauma of neutering" would be funny if it weren't so damn stupid. Yeah, you try having your testicles removed and replaced with silicon ones, requiring another surgical operation after you have already been neutered, and see if that helps. The fact that they have different textured ones for a more natural feel is also highly worrying, because I don't think the dog is going to care one way or the other. And the owner really shouldn't care about the feel of their dog's testicles.

So as you can see, the stupidity and vanity of some pet owners really knows no bounds. And whilst we can't stop idiots like this from existing, what we can do is pressure veterinary practices around the world to stop offering treatments that are cosmetic in nature for pets. If you want a fashion accessory, buy a bag, not a dog.