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Okay, so in NY State it would also be a $500 fine for the vet that crops or docks and unbelievably, for anyone who assists in or even promotes the procedure!  So you won't be getting your dog cropped or docked in NY.  And if it gets out of committee, which I predict it will, you won't be selling or showing many breeds there either.  Goodbye Westminster.  One would think that alone would be incentive for AKC to stop 7218... 

The consensus among judges and breeders interviewed by Peggy Mickelson led me to these conclusions;

In docked breeds, long tails will change the identifiable profile of the breed, the SET of the tail and consequently, the croup will drop and that will affect movement.

In cropped breeds, long ears will not change the structure but will make a softer expression acceptable, and consequently softer temperaments will become the norm.

There is no reasonable reason to stop docking tails as opposed to the many practical and historical reasons which prevent injury and future pain to performance breeds. 

If properly performed, docking is quickly done, quickly healed, causes no stress to the dam.  It is practically painless for the puppy because the nervous system is minimally developed at that age.  There is a momentary squeal but the pain is gone so quickly that it less "cruel" than the slip of a toenail clipper.  There is no need for so much as a single stitch.  A little dab of Quick Stop or equivalent and the puppy goes back to nursing.

But wait, there’s more.  Surgical castration or hysterectomy stops production of healthy hormones and impairs the immune system.  Premature cessation of sex-related hormones is so devastating to health that humans are put on hormone replacement therapy whereas dogs are left to suffer.  Read Spay-Neuter Effects ii ref: #2  and then decide which is more harmful - cropping and docking which Animal Rights Radicals oppose, or spay and neuter which Animal Rights and animal cruelty kooks support.

There are purpose-related reasons to dock and crop to prevent injury when the dog is performing the job it was created to do.  If one would argue that few dogs do breed-related work then why worry about breed type and purpose?  Only those who know nothing of the desired character of terrier, working, and hunting breeds would want to see them changed, including the cropped ears or docked tails that define them.

Okay, now let’s get to the really ouchy part of this discussion.

The squabble over docking and cropping is exacerbated by those who exhibit a dog with a characteristic contrary to the breed standard.  That usually occurs when people import an undocked dog they want to "show off" the dog because:

they have the wherewithal to seek and import a dog

they can increase puppy or stud sales by proving they can champion the dog.  They could just advertise the dog but the fact is, they

consciously or not, favor the Animal Rights Agenda and are out to prove a point.  And that is something every dedicated breeder should loudly and publicly condemn!

However much it strains credibility, some National Breed Clubs may change the breed standard to accommodate the animal rights radicals.  Parent clubs that accede to the demands, stubbornness, and/or stupidity (take your pick) of such a tiny minority of exhibitors are as guilty of promoting "animal rights" and/or HSUS as AKC Judge Ted Paul ii ref: #3 Actually, they are more at fault because they should be unaffected by personal ego.  Still, I can’t come up with any other reason for a parent club to roll over and play dead in public support of the Animal Rights Agenda, can you?

Barbara J. Andrews, Editor