Tail Docking and Ear Cropping Dogs: Public Awareness and Perceptions

Ethical Concerns about Fashionable Dog Breeding

The historical relationship between humans and dogs has involved selective breeding for various purposes, such as hunting, guarding, and service roles. However, over time, there has been a shift in preferences from functionality to aesthetics, which has influenced the diverse sizes, shapes, and coats of dog breeds. This review looks at fashionable dog breeding and questions the ethics of prioritising looks over health and behaviour. It aims to alert potential owners, breeders, and regulators to the importance of considering a dog's overall well-being, not just its appearance, which has resulted in fad breeding, leading to genetic disorders, health issues, and a loss of biodiversity. Ethical concerns arise from breeding brachycephalic breeds with respiratory conditions, inbreeding causing inherited disorders, and overbreeding popular breeds while shelter dogs remain unadopted. Additionally, the impact of cosmetic surgeries on popular dog breeds, as well as the neglect of behavioural traits in favour of physical characteristics and strict breeding practices are also considered. The current breeding model can have a negative impact on the emotional and cognitive well-being of dogs, resulting in issues such as aggression, anxiety, and other behavioural problems that can significantly reduce their overall quality of life. Unregulated breeding practices and the demand for rare breeds can lead to illegal breeding, compromising animal welfare. Prospective owners, veterinarians, kennel clubs, and legislators all need to play a responsible role in protecting animals.

Pet Owners' Attitudes and Opinions towards Cat and Dog Care Practices in Aotearoa New Zealand

This research aimed to explore cat and dog owners' attitudes and opinions towards various pet care practices in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), and determine what factors were associated with them. An online survey composed of both closed and open-ended questions was administered from January to March 2019. A total of 2358 respondents answered the questions on pet care practices. Of these, 37.5 percent (n = 885) were both dog and cat owners, 28.0 percent (n = 652) were cat owners, and 26.0 percent (n = 609) were dog owners, while 9% (n = 212) of respondents did not own a cat or dog at the time of taking the survey. The study revealed that most respondents (>90%) acknowledge the importance of providing adequate housing, regular worming and flea treatments, microchipping, and vaccinations for their pets. Notably, demographic factors such as gender, ethnicity, age range, having children, having a rural upbringing, and place of residence influenced owners' attitudes, with those towards cat care practices varying more than those for dogs. The study highlights the need for responsible pet ownership interventions considering these demographic factors. The study identifies a knowledge gap among pet owners concerning the importance of regular veterinary visits and the impact of breeding for certain looks on animal welfare. The use of shock collar devices provoked varying opinions on their usage for training and behavior modification. The study suggests that enhancing pet owners' knowledge is pivotal for responsible pet ownership. Overall, the findings emphasize the need for tailored interventions that account for demographic variations for promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare. The findings underscore the importance of improving access to veterinary health care teams, especially in rural areas, and of providing culturally appropriate education resources for both pet owners and veterinary health care teams.

Scientific and technical assistance on welfare aspects related to housing and health of cats and dogs in commercial breeding establishments

This Scientific Report addresses a mandate from the European Commission according to Article 31 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on the welfare of cats and dogs in commercial breeding establishments kept for sport, hunting and companion purposes. The aim was to scrutinise recent recommendations made by the EU Platform on Animal Welfare Voluntary Initiative on measures to assist the preparation of policy options for the legal framework of commercial breeding of cats and dogs. Specifically, the main question addressed was if there is scientific evidence to support the measures for protection of cats and dogs in commercial breeding related to housing, health considerations and painful procedures. Three judgements were carried out based on scientific literature reviews and, where possible a review of national regulations. The first judgement addressed housing and included: type of accommodation, outdoor access, exercise, social behaviour, housing temperature and light requirements. The second judgement addressed health and included: age at first and last breeding, and breeding frequency. Judgement 3 addressed painful procedures (mutilations or convenience surgeries) and included: ear cropping, tail docking and vocal cord resections in dogs and declawing in cats. For each of these judgements, considerations were provided indicating where scientific literature is available to support recommendations on providing or avoiding specific housing, health or painful surgical interventions. Areas where evidence is lacking are indicated.

Dogs with cropped ears in the UK: A population-based study using electronic health records

BACKGROUND

Ear cropping for cosmetic purposes was made illegal in the UK in 2006. Despite this, a lack of import regulations and celebrity and media influences mean cropped dogs are increasingly reported.

METHODS

The demographics, temporal trends and patient-level associated factors for dogs with cropped ears were evaluated in a large sentinel population of dogs visiting UK veterinary practices.

RESULTS

A total of 132 dogs with cropped ears were identified, with rates peaking in 2021. In 84 cases (63.6%), there was evidence of importation, most commonly from countries where cropping is also illegal, including Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Spain, Poland and Ireland. American Bulldogs, Dobermanns, Italian Mastiffs (Cane Corso), Bulldogs and Mastiffs were all significantly overrepresented. Affected dogs were more likely to be unneutered (odds ratio 11.04, 95% confidence interval 5.84-20.90).

LIMITATIONS

The study likely underestimates true levels of ear cropping. Identified cases are from a sentinel network of veterinary practices, and as such may not be representative of the wider UK population.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest a need to educate owners and veterinary surgeons about the welfare and legal implications of ear cropping. The data presented can inform future targeted policies in veterinary practices and at a governmental level.

Dogs Health Related to Ear Cropping

Ear cropping is a controversial subject with both supporters as well as detractors. Some consider that the procedure is cruel and unnecessary, while others consider it to be routine and harmless. The cropping of the ears of dogs for cosmetic reasons has no medical merit. It is a cosmetic, surgical procedure performed to achieve a specific appearance that matches the desired image and sometimes the standard of certain breeds of dogs. Cosmetic surgery offers the dog the desired look, but it is not a necessity. This procedure must be performed by a licensed veterinarian. Those interventions cause pain and anxiety and, like all surgical procedures, are associated with the risk of anaesthesia problems, blood loss and infection. There is only a thin line between what is convenient for the animal and what is good. Almost every community has legislation on animal welfare which includes amputation issues. If something is considered normal in some countries, this does not necessarily mean that it is also moral. The lack of legal consequences may lead some owners to produce certain breeds of dogs to their liking, but they should not be allowed to cripple their dog for their own personal benefit. Amputation can only be performed legally by a veterinarian and a new problem arises. This is because there are veterinarians who refuse to practice that kind of intervention. Some of them may think that since the legislation is unclear, they might be charged with a crime.

Prevalence of Spondylosis Deformans in Tailed Versus Tail-Docked Rottweilers

Tail docking is a routine procedure for rottweilers in the United States and Canada. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in tailed (n = 25) and docked (n = 39) rottweilers ≥5 yr old to compare prevalence and severity of spondylosis deformans in the lumbar spine between groups. The prevalence of spondylosis was 68.0% in tailed dogs and 76.9% in docked dogs, which was not significantly different (P = .563). Distribution of spondylosis severity did not significantly differ between tailed and docked dogs (P = .102). Logistic regression found moderate to severe spondylosis was associated with age and sex. Females were three times at greater risk than males (odds ratio 3.10, 95% confidence interval 1.060-9.08; P = .039). Risk increased 1.4 times for each additional year (odds ratio 1.43, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.99, P = .036). Tail docking may not impact or only play a minor role in spondylosis deformans in rottweilers.

Revisiting the famous farm foxes: A psychological perspective

Five decades ago, Dmitry Belyaev, Lyudmila Trut, and colleagues began a now-famous experiment, selectively breeding foxes based on one criterion: perceived tame behavior. Over generations, the fox population changed in behavior (as predicted) but, intriguingly, also changed markedly in appearance-for example, many had wider mouths, curlier tails, different fur coloring, and floppy ears. These researchers concluded that the morphological changes that appeared in their foxes were a by-product of the researchers' selecting for genetic variants that are implicated both in behavior and in appearance. For decades, scientists have largely accepted this "shared genetic variants" interpretation to fully account for the co-occurrence of behavioral and morphological phenotypes in these foxes and in other domesticated animals. However, several decades of psychological research on human social cognition, human-canine interaction, and canine behavior strongly suggest that such an account may be incomplete. I forward a supplementary perspective, based on psychological research, that the covariation of appearance and behavior among these foxes may be partly an artifact of human psychological processes at play in selection. These processes include humans' tendency to infer individuals' traits based on their physical features; trait inferences, in turn, influence how humans treat those individuals. If accurate, this account bears on our understanding of these famous foxes, human-canine interactions, as well as humans' role in domestication.

Institutional transparency improves public perception of lab animal technicians and support for animal research

The use of animals in research is controversial and often takes place under a veil of secrecy. Lab animal technicians responsible for the care of animals at research institutions are sometimes described as performing 'dirty work' (i.e. professions that are viewed as morally tainted), and may be stigmatized by negative perceptions of their job. This study assessed if transparency affects public perceptions of lab animal technicians and support for animal research. Participants (n = 550) were randomly assigned to one of six scenarios (using a 3x2 design) that described identical research varying only the transparency of the facility (low, high) and the species used (mice, dogs, cows). Participants provided Likert-type and open-ended responses to questions about the personal characteristics (warmth, competence) of a hypothetical lab technician 'Cathy' and their support for the described research. Quantitative analysis showed participants in the low-transparency condition perceived Cathy to be less warm and were less supportive of the research regardless of animal species. Qualitative responses varied greatly, with some participants expressing support for both Cathy and the research. These results suggest that increasing transparency in lab animal institutions could result in a more positive perception of lab animal researchers and the work that they do.