Tail Docking
Dog tails are more than just accessories.
Each year, more than 750,000 dogs (80+ breeds) have their tails amputated just to change how they look. Breeders usually cut, or "dock", the puppies' tails to conform with Kennel Club Breed Standards before sending them to their forever homes.
Dogs need their tails for balance, elimination, and so many other things...including communication. Tails help them signal 'friend or foe' to other pups. Studies show that dogs with docked tails are more likely to end up in fights.
Only 1 in 500 dogs ever injures its tail.
Cutting off 500 tails to "prevent" one injury? That just doesn't make sense. Isn't amputation an injury?
Declawing
More than 1 in 5 American cats are declawed.
Cat declawing is an operation to remove an animal's claws surgically by amputating the end bones of the animal's toes.
This can be Life Threatening!
Declawed cats suffer the savage pain of losing weight-bearing flesh, bones, nerves, and tendons in their feet. This debilitating surgery poses immediate risk of death and significant life-long risk for persistent lameness, behavior problems, back and other chronic pain, according to the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. One peer-reviewed study revealed that
63% of declawed cats had residual bone fragments in their feet.
Declawing can also lead to unwanted behaviors which, in turn, can lead to shelter relinquishment. At shelters, cats with behavior problems are approximately 70% more likely to be euthanized.
Declawing does NOT prevent euthanasia.
Cat declawing is banned across Europe, the UK, and many countries around the world, yet more than 1 million cats are declawed in the United States...
every year.
Ear Cropping
More than 200,000 dogs have their ears cropped by breeders or veterinarians each year. Some are also cropped by backyard enthusiasts and dog fighters.
Removing part or all of a healthy dog's ear provides no benefit to the dog and may cause chronic pain and sensitivity. Dog ears are made of cartilage...just like humans...and can protect their ear canals from insects and debris. Adding to that, as long as ear cropping and tail docking are legal, dog fighters can hide in plain sight.
Devocalization
Vocal cords are an integral part of us.
Devocalization, masked by terms such as debarking or bark softening, damages an animal's vocal cords reducing or eliminating its ability to speak. This procedure is seen as mutilation in the United Kingdom and is illegal there, across Europe, and in many countries around the world.
The United States continues this practice, which can lead to a multitude of unwanted behaviors. When a dog can't communicate one way, it will find another.
More
These are just a few of the many non-therapeutic invasive procedures that are performed on cats and dogs in the United States today. Many more include, but are not limited to, prosthetic testicles, tendonectomy, cosmetic tattooing, and cosmetic piercing.
Together, let's change the future for America's pets.