Anti-docking website
1
Aust Vet J Vol 78, No 3, March 2000 206 News Extra Pomeranians – and daintily lead them around the park, a park to which beggars and other “undesirables” are refused entry. The servants avoid eye contact with those on the other side of the fence and pretend not to notice as the dogs defaecate beneath the swings and urinate on the roses. Their constitutional over, eight canine feet are fas- tidiously wiped clean, coats are brushed and the party departs in air-conditioned comfort. The discussion about respon- sible pet ownership in the Australian veterinary and gen- eral communities continues. Should not we, as a profes- sion, be discussing what level of pet care is compatible with responsible global citizenship? As we walk our pampered pooches through Australia’s well-tended parks, gardens and state forests, do we avoid the eyes of the developing world? Do we avert our eyes and pretend that the millions left unable to feed their chil- dren, access the most basic education, or even purchase a life-saving course of amoxil, are neither our problem nor our responsibility? Across a fence (or across cul- tures, nationalities, socioeco- nomic groups or hemispheres) distance may insulate us – but it doesn’t dilute the injustice of the world nor lessen the obligation inherent in our privilege and opportunity. What standard of pet care is “responsible” and what is “immoral”? When does kind- ness to animals become, even if indirectly, cruelty to people? Dr Deborah Storie, [email protected] Anti-docking website I T was wonderful to read your views on tail docking. I am very much opposed to docking and believe it is about time it was banned. It has been succesfully outlawed in Europe and I would love to see Australia follow suit. I work as an assistant in a vet- erinary practice and am devel- oping my own anti-docking website. My parents work in the Internet industry and are helping me with the project. When it is finished I would love to hear the views of AVA members about the site and its contents. The main things it will feature are a video of a vet actually performing a docking proceedure so that people can see how it really is done and to show that the pups do feel pain – contrary to what the pro-dockers say. It will also have pictures of dogs from breeds that have traditionally been docked but with their tails intact – so that people can see what they should look like. The site will also carry extensive text on the subject. If your members or readers have any suggestions on what else I can put on the site that might help the anti-docking cause, I would love to hear them. Keep up the wonderful work and good luck with your campaign to win support for the proposed ACT anti-dock- ing legislation. I will be send- ing my letter to the Minister very soon and I hope your members can encourage a real flood of mail to help get an official ban underway. Kelly Maher, [email protected] Pups’ tails saved W E want to express our gratitude to the AVA and to Dr Roger Clarke for convincing us to spare the tails of our newborn cocker spaniel pups from the pointless and painful process of docking. We are not professional breed- ers but found ourselves in a situation where we discovered our dogs had become extremely friendly! From dis- cussions in our local area, we learned that Dr Clarke had been waging a strong cam- paign against docking for many years and decided to seek his advice on what we should with our pups. He made us aware of the AVA’s strong stance against docking as an utterly unnecessary – and unjustifiable – mutilation of a dog. When our eight pups were born we were amazed at how gorgeous they were, especially how their natural tails made them even more attractive than the “modified” versions which most people now mis- takenly believe are true cocker spaniels. We are now total converts to the anti-docking cause. It has been a great life experience for us – helping to give birth to these puppies and helping to nurture them. These past few weeks have been wonderful for us to share and we have been given mem- ories that will last us forever. We are frantically taking pho- tographs of the pups at every opportunity so we can con- vince other people what beau- tiful animals they are. Most people think cocker spaniels are beautiful anyway, but we can now show those who are unaware that this breed has traditionally been mutilated at birth just how adorable they are when they are allowed to keep the tails nature gave them. We have decided to send some photos of our litter to Dr Clarke for use in his important anti-docking work. Thanks again to Dr Clarke and the AVA. Keep up the good fight – we will do every- thing we can to ensure your “save the tails” message is heard by as many people as possible. John and Renea Goebel, Gold Coast, Qld ‘Strange’ US idea The anti-docking movement (and anti-ear cropping) is starting to swell in the US as well as in Australia and other countries. However, in an October 1999 issue of the JAVMA there is a very strange response from a vet in favour of docking stating that there is “no difference between cosmetic docking and spay- ing”. The letter said: “Why do we support spaying if dogs have ‘more to lose’ (their reproductive function) in the operation whereas no function is lost with cosmetic docking”. The writer appears to have neglected the importance of spaying and Neutering in controlling the numbers of unwanted ani- mals. I doubt if docking would lead to less strays. I hope this very strange argu- ment doesn’t enter the present campaign. Diane Ryan BVSc [email protected] Letters ▲ Continued from page 205 Correspondence News items and general correspondence should be submitted to the Managing Editor, AVA House, 134-136 Hampden Rd, Artarmon NSW 2064, Australia or PO Box 371 Artarmon NSW 1570 Australia. Telephone (02) 9411 2733, fax (02) 9411 5089, email [email protected] Web address www.ava.com.au
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Transcript of Anti-docking website
Aust Vet J Vol 78, No 3, March 2000206
News Extra
Pomeranians – and daintilylead them around the park, apark to which beggars andother “undesirables” arerefused entry. The servantsavoid eye contact with thoseon the other side of the fenceand pretend not to notice asthe dogs defaecate beneath theswings and urinate on theroses. Their constitutionalover, eight canine feet are fas-tidiously wiped clean, coatsare brushed and the partydeparts in air-conditionedcomfort.The discussion about respon-sible pet ownership in theAustralian veterinary and gen-eral communities continues.Should not we, as a profes-sion, be discussing what levelof pet care is compatible withresponsible global citizenship?As we walk our pamperedpooches through Australia’swell-tended parks, gardensand state forests, do we avoidthe eyes of the developingworld? Do we avert our eyesand pretend that the millionsleft unable to feed their chil-dren, access the most basiceducation, or even purchase alife-saving course of amoxil,are neither our problem norour responsibility?Across a fence (or across cul-tures, nationalities, socioeco-nomic groups or hemispheres)distance may insulate us – butit doesn’t dilute the injusticeof the world nor lessen theobligation inherent in ourprivilege and opportunity.What standard of pet care is“responsible” and what is“immoral”? When does kind-ness to animals become, evenif indirectly, cruelty to people?
Dr Deborah Storie,[email protected]
Anti-dockingwebsite
IT was wonderful to readyour views on tail docking. I
am very much opposed todocking and believe it is abouttime it was banned. It hasbeen succesfully outlawed inEurope and I would love tosee Australia follow suit.I work as an assistant in a vet-erinary practice and am devel-oping my own anti-dockingwebsite. My parents work inthe Internet industry and arehelping me with the project.When it is finished I wouldlove to hear the views of AVAmembers about the site and itscontents. The main things itwill feature are a video of a vetactually performing a dockingproceedure so that people cansee how it really is done and toshow that the pups do feelpain – contrary to what thepro-dockers say. It will alsohave pictures of dogs frombreeds that have traditionallybeen docked but with theirtails intact – so that peoplecan see what they should looklike. The site will also carryextensive text on the subject.If your members or readershave any suggestions on whatelse I can put on the site thatmight help the anti-dockingcause, I would love to hearthem. Keep up the wonderfulwork and good luck with yourcampaign to win support forthe proposed ACT anti-dock-ing legislation. I will be send-ing my letter to the Ministervery soon and I hope yourmembers can encourage a realflood of mail to help get anofficial ban underway.
Kelly Maher,[email protected]
Pups’ tails saved
WE want to express ourgratitude to the AVA
and to Dr Roger Clarke forconvincing us to spare the tailsof our newborn cocker spanielpups from the pointless andpainful process of docking.We are not professional breed-ers but found ourselves in asituation where we discoveredour dogs had becomeextremely friendly! From dis-cussions in our local area, welearned that Dr Clarke hadbeen waging a strong cam-paign against docking formany years and decided toseek his advice on what weshould with our pups. Hemade us aware of the AVA’sstrong stance against dockingas an utterly unnecessary –and unjustifiable – mutilationof a dog.When our eight pups wereborn we were amazed at howgorgeous they were, especiallyhow their natural tails madethem even more attractivethan the “modified” versionswhich most people now mis-takenly believe are true cockerspaniels. We are now totalconverts to the anti-dockingcause. It has been a great lifeexperience for us – helping togive birth to these puppies andhelping to nurture them.These past few weeks havebeen wonderful for us to shareand we have been given mem-ories that will last us forever.We are frantically taking pho-tographs of the pups at everyopportunity so we can con-vince other people what beau-tiful animals they are. Mostpeople think cocker spanielsare beautiful anyway, but wecan now show those who areunaware that this breed hastraditionally been mutilated atbirth just how adorable theyare when they are allowed tokeep the tails nature gave
them. We have decided tosend some photos of our litterto Dr Clarke for use in hisimportant anti-docking work.Thanks again to Dr Clarkeand the AVA. Keep up thegood fight – we will do every-thing we can to ensure your“save the tails” message isheard by as many people aspossible.
John and Renea Goebel,Gold Coast, Qld
‘Strange’ US ideaThe anti-docking movement(and anti-ear cropping) isstarting to swell in the US as well as in Australiaand other countries. However,in an October 1999 issue ofthe JAVMA there is a verystrange response from a vet infavour of docking stating thatthere is “no difference betweencosmetic docking and spay-ing”. The letter said:“Why do we support spayingif dogs have ‘more to lose’(their reproductive function)in the operation whereas nofunction is lost with cosmeticdocking”.The writer appears to haveneglected the importance ofspaying and Neutering in controlling thenumbers of unwanted ani-mals. I doubt if docking would lead to less strays.I hope this very strange argu-ment doesn’t enter the presentcampaign.
Diane Ryan [email protected]
L e t t e r s▲
Continued from page 205
CorrespondenceNews items and generalcorrespondence should besubmitted to the ManagingEditor, AVA House, 134-136Hampden Rd, ArtarmonNSW 2064, Australia or POBox 371 Artarmon NSW1570 Australia. Telephone(02) 9411 2733, fax (02)9411 5089, [email protected] Webaddress www.ava.com.au
