Animal Welfare Bill

My Lords, I am sorry to bring a discordant note into the proceedings. I have long opposed the docking of dogs’ tails and remain very unhappy about the exemptions allowed for working dogs. I appreciate that the Minister has sought to allay our fears, but he has not taken my fears away completely. It will be difficult to decide the fate of an animal when it is small and to know whether it will be a working dog. I also question whether all working dogs need to have their tails docked. I understand that police dogs, which are often German Shepherds, do not normally have their tails docked, and they do all kind of things that might be dangerous to them. I remain very disappointed. I believe that the Bill originally ended the docking of dogs’ tails, and this provision is much less than I hoped for.