Animal Welfare Bill

I agree that there would be less motivation. If they were working dogs under the provisions of new clause 8, there would be no problem. If, however, the intention was to show them, there would be no point in docking their tails. Some people might have domestic reasons for wanting to dock their dog’s tail; they might wish to have such a dog in their house. There are circumstances in which it would be to someone’s advantage to mislead a vet in that way, although I accept that they would be fewer and more constrained than they are at present. The issues are whether the mutilation of a dog at birth is justified, and, whether or not it is justified, whether the dog suffers as a consequence of the procedure. It is now for others to make their case, as I have had the opportunity to do so at some length in Committee. I would simply say that a dog is born with a tail, so presumably that tail has a purpose. If it did not, it would have been eliminated through genetic manipulation over many generations. Tails assist balance and agility, and they are used to communicate with other dogs. It is questionable, to say the least, whether it is advantageous to dogs to have them removed. As to whether puppies feel pain, to be fair, the science is not clear on that; there is no clear evidence in that regard as to the consequences of the mutilation. The RCVS has stated: "““Tail docking in dogs is an unacceptable procedure when carried out for non-therapeutic reasons””." That is the firm view of the experts. Like my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris), I place more emphasis on what they say than I do on the anecdotal evidence of the police or of others who use dogs in their working capacity. What are the downsides if tail docking is not performed on working dogs? It is up to those who advocate the mutilation of an animal to make the case that that mutilation is justified. It is not for those of us who believe that mutilation is wrong to make our case. An animal is born as it is born: a dog is born with a tail. Those who wish to remove their tails must justify that decision. I have not heard any such justification so far in the debate—to be fair to the Minister, he tried to be relatively neutral in his introduction—so I shall wait to hear from other hon. Members the justification that such actions are absolutely necessary. I am happy to accept that some breeds are prone to tail damage if they work in thick cover or confined spaces. I am also happy to accept that, in some circumstances, tail damage in later life can lead to a dog suffering more severe pain, and that a general anaesthetic would be necessary to remove the tail at that time. One could also argue that working dogs were more susceptible to such injury than pet dogs. However, the scale of the incidence of such injury has not been teased out, even by those in favour of tail docking. The 20 examples given by the chief constable mentioned earlier is not a huge number. In any case, a tail—or part of a tail; let us not forget that option—can be amputated under general anaesthetic later in a dog’s life if necessary.