Cutting dog's tail can land you in jail

[goodboy_mentor]

NEW DELHI: Just let your dog's tail be. Cutting it could land you behind bars, as the mutilation of pets for cosmetic reasons has been made an offence.

An advisory sent out by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to veterinary councils , colleges, kennel clubs and other institutions likely to carry out such procedures states that practices like docking of tails and cropping of ears will now be punishable with a fine, or imprisonment, or both.

The AWBI acted on a Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations petition.

Traditionally, Doberman, Boxer, Great Dane and Cocker Spaniel pups have been subjected to tail docking, but veterinarians say there is no reason for this practice to continue.

"Earlier, it was believed the tail would be a hindrance when the dogs went hunting, but now docking is done for purely cosmetic purposes. Many owners do not even know why they do this," said Dr Kunal Dev Sharma, veterinarian surgeon at Max Vets Dog and Cat Hospital.

"It all started with Kennel Club of India publishing an article in its magazine, Indian Kennel Gazette, that promoted tail-docking and earcropping practices. Our inhouse research showed these do not have a therapeutic value and were solely for cosmetic purposes," said Khushboo Gupta, media coordinator of FIAPO. Kennel Club of India said it would respond to the charge after a couple of days. The AWBI advisory states: "The practice of non-therapeutic tail docking and ear cropping is seen in the light of mutilation, which amounts to cruelty to animals as per Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, and is, therefore , a punishable offence." Section 11 of the Act makes violations punishable with a fine of up to Rs 100.

"The violator can also be charged under section 428 of IPC that talks about maiming of animals," said Anjali Sharma , member and legal advisor , AWBI. This section allows for a jail term of up to two years.

Source http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... -practices

[shooter]

[mundaire]

What about people who have their child's ears pierced or have their child circumcised, for non-therapeutic reasons like tradition? Should they be sent to jail too? Where will this end?

[Priyan]

Abhijit,
If that piercing of children becomes law. I'd be more than happy. Speaking of docked dogs, what would happen to the owners of dogs that has been already docked? BTW the fine makes me wonder why its a small amount? You can get fined more than this just for smoking in public.
This is just start guys, soon we would not be able to plow the field with bulls cause it would be illegal BTW if I remember correctly, one of the IFG'ians had dogs that were docked.

[deepinder]

What about people who have their child's ears pierced or have their child circumcised, for non-therapeutic reasons like tradition? Should they be sent to jail too? Where will this end?

good example
maybe parents will have to wait for the child to be of legal age , so that they can give their own concent for the procedure
ds

[deepinder]

but coming back to animals
docked dogs are no longer allowed in international dog shows
i have three rotwiellers , all surgically docked 5 years back
some trainers do docking with tying a tourniquet with rubber band around t base of t tail, which finally rots and falls off, but at times turns pretty ugly and painful for the pups
that should be illegal

ds

[goodboy_mentor]

It seems reasonable and human to expect that practices that cause distress and suffering to the animals should be avoided and discouraged. Unnecessary docking of tails and cropping of ears indeed seems unreasonable. The nature has provided tails and ear flaps to the animals with a purpose. Tails allow them to keep their rear protected. If one observes would find that whenever in danger, the dog curls its tail downwards in order to cover its posterior. Similarly many animals swing around their tails and ear flaps to drive away the insects and flies. But the problem starts when the things start becoming unreasonable.

[nagarifle]

i feel that docking on a working dog is ok. however its one of those laws which is hard or impossible to enforce.

[Priyan]

nagarifle,
What about consuming dog meat? Does the law say anything about it? I have seen people buying dogs here to ship to Nagaland. I really hope they keep them as pet but...

[rajveer]

Sirs
these peple are spending so much time energy and money on getting orders from hon'ble Courts to direct peple who are true dog lover and share thier bed sofa meal kids car and what not with their dog. To advise what to do with their love.
I have a simple question what about the stray dogs. I reside in mumbai we have two apartment sepereted just by 10 minutes walk. very sorry to say that strech is inhibeted by slum dellers .NO ONE CAN WALK THAT 10 MINUTES DISTANCE after 11 pm. If ever I have to walk I must have my revolver with me loaded and atleast two hockey sticks. The reason all dogs are rabbies infected and trying to defend their teritory. And there are 300 of them
I Had a narrow escape few days back . what about them they are no more dogs they are urban wild preditor who are not going to spare anyone.I insist that person who got the order about cosmatic surgery to walk with me. Even if he has the order in his hand and try to read it to them
He might change his views

[rajveer]

I know this is other problem but soon they will come up with dont give ur dog bath every day that is not according to animal practise or dont give ur dog toilet tranning or what else . why they dont take of MIILLIONS.............. of dogs that r eating s********t every day.
If they have no issue why not make this as an issue.
Regards.

[airgun_novice]

Sirs
these peple are spending so much time energy and money on getting orders from hon'ble Courts to direct peple who are true dog lover and share thier bed sofa meal kids car and what not with their dog. To advise what to do with their love.
I have a simple question what about the stray dogs. I reside in mumbai we have two apartment sepereted just by 10 minutes walk. very sorry to say that strech is inhibeted by slum dellers .NO ONE CAN WALK THAT 10 MINUTES DISTANCE after 11 pm. If ever I have to walk I must have my revolver with me loaded and atleast two hockey sticks. The reason all dogs are rabbies infected and trying to defend their teritory. And there are 300 of them
I Had a narrow escape few days back . what about them they are no more dogs they are urban wild preditor who are not going to spare anyone.I insist that person who got the order about cosmatic surgery to walk with me. Even if he has the order in his hand and try to read it to them
He might change his views

I sorta lost the plot here. You carry 2 hockey sticks and a revolver to use against those 300 dogs from slums for a walk of 10 minutes after 11PM ? I mean I know people (read men) who thought they were Bhagwan Kamadev but Sir, I respectfully bow before you as Bhagwan Vishnu Himself. Short of 4 hands I really fail to understand how you would use *at least* 2 hockey sticks and a revolver on a set of pack animals numbering 300 who definitely would surround you and attack in random order ("random" for humans but "instinctively" for a pack). The pack sets on either triggered by fear felt by the prey (in such cases "human") or manifestation of the fear as un-calculated aggression - a short shout like "HUTT" or stomping of feet once/ twice or wild swing or raising of arms. This "bluff" by humans usually does not augur well.

Anyway, hope no hard feelings taken. Please be careful at all the times; do not provoke *any* gang of pack animals, including feral dogs. I would be more pensive of the bipeds in that slum (at 11pm) than the quadrupeds. I had an experience similar to yours inside a *gated (with security) society* in Thane a few years back getting surrounded by 25-30 ferals that had crawled through the gate bars and from beneath it. We had returned around 1.45AM after watching last show of Chak De India and I had 2 sleeping kids in both the arms and a scared wife dangling (almost choking me) from my neck. Thankfully, nothing untoward happened.

Anyway, the thread dwells on chopping off the tail - I sorta agree with the law makers once on this as there isn't IMHO a real scientific grounding. Surely any animal with tail uses the same aerodynamically while running or for hunting. Has anyone seen a Cheetah with tail cut off so that he could run another few km/hr faster ? Why didn't the conservationalists in the Big 5 Game Reserve cut off tails of lions so that they could match the speed of gazelle ? Not quite like the circumcision that originates in the arid saline desert land of Iran-Arabastan or ear-piercing which originates in land (India-China) learned in acupuncture, right ? Now when an animal doubles up as food there is no reason for enactment, unless it's on the verge of extinction like the tortoise/ turtles. Many Indians like chicken/ pig food items that have entered India from China as delicacies - what's wrong with Nagas and Mizos selectively enjoying another one ? Personally, I would never eat my best friend - even if I were to be marooned atop snow-capped Andes - not that I am a footballer anyway.

[rajveer]

good write up why dont u come up to take walk . Mr. airgun- novice I invite u explain all this thig to the rabbise infected dogs in my visinity
Pls take all the print outs and relevent law book , I hope they need it and when are u coming down.
Regards.

[essdee1972]

Good decision! Also, a good decision by me earlier to get an undocked Rottie . Although his tail can give a real whack, but that is because he is happy! Imagine the plight of the poor blighter if his tail is cut off - he can't even wag it to show how happy he is to get a Marie biscuit!!

By the way, Mr. Rajveer, I doubt whether the ~ 300 feral dogs in your neighbourhood are all rabid. Rabies is as much a fatal disease for them as for us - dogs die faster than humans of rabies. They would have died off quite soon (although not soon enough for the humans / other animals they would have bitten!). Try getting a sjambok for protection, using the revolver might prove counterporductive - unlike humans, animals don't run off if one (or 6, assuming yours in a six-gun) of the pack are killed - they get more ferocious by the smell of blood, and by the time you reload........well, you might be bitten through and through; plus any cop issues with firing in inhabited area, etc. I once used my sjambok (rather lightly) on a stray that was getting too interested in my puppy - all strays of the neighbourhood stay away now! Of course, he is a 30 kg puppy now!

EssDee

[airgun_novice]

good write up why dont u come up to take walk . Mr. airgun- novice I invite u explain all this thig to the rabbise infected dogs in my visinity
Pls take all the print outs and relevent law book , I hope they need it and when are u coming down.
Regards.

rajveer, essdee1972 has put it correctly - there is an ultra slim chance of those 300 woofers being rabid. BTW, our Indian pariah (country) dog is far more resistant to different sorta diseases than EU ones. What (loss of hair) patch you often see on their skin is more or less the battle scar; not necessarily rabies marks.Yes it hurts when they bite - now that's universal; no argument against that. So my policy - do not encourage them to bite - it also applies to snakes, crocs and humans. Take a walk to read out legal notices to the dogs, you say ? If I were to declare that I am not afraid of death, would you have me commit suicide to prove it ? Chill, bro - take care - extra care, when you venture out at 11PM, that's all. Live and let live.