13 dogs with illegally docked tails confiscated from a backyard breeder in South Africa

On Wednesday, 9 February, the Animal Welfare Society of South Africa confiscated a pair of Boerboel dogs plus their litter of 11 partially weaned puppies with illegally docked tails from a Gugulethu backyard breeder who was later detained by Philippi SAPS and is facing serious charges of animal cruelty
under the Animals Protection Act No 71 of 1962 inter alia Section 2 (1) (a) (SAPS CASE 147/2/2022).

Their tails had been cruelly docked with elastic bands wound tightly around the base of their tails. Their owner allegedly docked their tails to “improve their looks” and saleability.

He explained that they planned to keep 4 of the puppies and sell the rest locally. The degree of pain inflicted on these hapless 3-week-old puppies before they could even take their first step must have been excruciating.

Some of their tails were cut so short that the infection spread to their rectums. Their prognosis varies from hopeless to hopeful and we will do our very best
to save them all but for several who have suffered gross disfigurement, their prognosis is dire.

Tail docking or tail cutting causes pain and stress to young puppies and dogs and can lead to serious complications later in life.

According to AWS SA spokesperson Allan Perrins, “puppies and dogs need their tails for balance and body language. There are zero benefits to docking their tails.”

Routine tail docking is a criminal offence no matter who does it and there are no exclusions.

Please see the original and full article here