Manitoba vets vote to stop tail docking, but advocates want ban

A procedure done on dogs that has long been called outdated and inhumane is officially being taken out of operating manuals for Manitoba vets. 

Last Friday, the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association voted overwhelmingly in favour of banning the practice of docking the tail of a dog which means the procedure – shortening a dog’s to a nub – will no longer be offered.

“Manitoba’s veterinarians have taken a stance, and we are seeing exactly that: they will no longer be doing this cosmetic surgery,” said Brittany Semeniuk, a veterinary specialist at Grant Park Animal Hospital.

CityNews spent time with some dogs who have had the procedure done in the past, like Rocky, as it was common for working dogs to experience the practice of tail docking, which dates back to the Romans, who believed it helped stave off rabies.

 In the centuries since, it has evolved with proponents arguing it helped prevent injuries later in life, specifically for working dogs.

Now, Manitoba is the eighth province in the country to nip the practice in the bud and it’s a move welcomed by animal advocates.

“We now, as society, view dogs as our beloved family members and so it’s only right that they get to keep their tails and not have them docked to conform with breed standards,” said Semeniuk.

In 2010, a study out of Great Britain showed that less than one percent of dogs with the procedure were spared from injuries later in life and for Semeniuk, who first proposed the change, she says the procedure does far more harm than good.

“They really rely on their tails as a form of communication, whether they are happy or feeling fearful, also dogs use their tail for stability for swimming,” she said.

Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of legal advocacy with Animal Justice, applauds the move, but fears the procedure will continue behind closed doors, saying some breeders perform the tail docking themselves, even against best practices.

“It really is a progressive and science based decision that puts the well being of dogs ahead of the economic interest of breeders,” she said, calling for a province-wide ban on the practice.

“There is no oversight on breeders in Manitoba,” she said. “We really need a clear prohibition that sends a message that no one should be doing this.”