Dog tail docking discussed in Holyrood

Plans to relax laws on the practice of amputating working dogs tails has had little support from vets according one MSP.

Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Mark Ruskell MSP, this week quizzed Environment Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham at Holyrood on the lack of support from vets for allowing healthy puppies’ tails to be amputated.

A ban on tail docking in working dogs in Scotland has been in place for a decade. The Scottish Government’s proposed relaxation of the ban will be voted on at the environment committee on Tuesday, with a full vote in parliament expected after.

Mr Ruskell, Greens environment spokesperson, said: “The British Veterinary Association has warned that this would be a retrograde step for Scotland when we have become known as a leader on animal welfare.

“It speaks volumes that under questioning the Environment Secretary could not cite any veterinary organisation in support of this anti-scientific policy. The amputation of hundreds of puppies’ tails just to avoid one amputation in an adult dog makes no sense whatsoever.

“There are many ways to prevent tail injuries without removal.

“When the environment secretary appears before the committee on Tuesday, she will have a mountain to climb to justify this sop to vested interests.”

Ms Cunningham said: “Only one response from professional veterinary bodies was received to the public consultation that was held between February 10 and May 3 2016.

“It was a combined response from the British Veterinary Association and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

“Those organisations were not in favour of the proposal to permit the shortening of the tails of spaniel and hunt point retriever puppies when a vet believes those dogs are likely to be used as working dogs and risk serious tail injury in later life.

“The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons did not tender a response to the consultation.”