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Puppies 4 U
Dogs at Stud Animal Welfare Act
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The Animal Welfare Act 2006 exemption for Tail Docking of Working Terriers
TAIL DOCKING OF
DOGS
· The Act prohibits the docking of dogs’ tails subject to an exemption
for working dogs. The exemption is set out in regulations. The Docking
Regulations come into force in England on 6 April 2007. In Wales the equivalent
regulations came into force on 29 March 2007.
· A dog of one of the types below may be docked if evidence is provided
that it is likely to be worked in connection with law enforcement, activities of
Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, emergency rescue, lawful pest control, or the lawful
shooting of animals. It is recognised that in a litter not all puppies docked
will be found suitable for work.
· The owner of the dog, or person representing the owner must make a
signed statement that: the dam of the puppies to be docked is of a type which
can be certified as set out below; the date on which the puppies were born; and
that it is intended that they will be used, or sold, for one of the working
purposes set out in the regulations.
· The vet must sign a declaration that the requirements of the
regulations have been satisfied i.e. that he has been given the necessary
declaration by the owner, or person representing the owner, and has seen the
evidence required.
· The vet must have a completed statement, signed and dated by the owner
of the dog (or by another person whom the veterinary surgeon to whom it is
presented reasonably believes to be representing the owner), made in the form
set out in the regulations. The vet must see the dam of the dog and a further
piece of evidence such as a current shotgun or firearm certificate issued to the
owner of the dog, or to the agent or employee of the owner most likely to be
using the dog for work in connection with the lawful shooting of animals; a
letter from a gamekeeper, a land occupier (or his agent), a person with shooting
rights, a shoot organiser, a club official, a person representing the National
Working Terrier Federation, or a person engaged in lawful pest control, stating
that the breeder of the dog whose tail is to be docked is known to him and that
dogs bred by that breeder have been used (as the case may be) on his land, or in
his shoot, or for pest control.
· The dogs that can be docked are different between England and Wales
although the procedure is the same. There is a total ban on docking in Scotland.
· In England the following can be docked:
1. Hunt point retrieve breeds of any type or combination of types.
2. Spaniels of any type or combination of types.
3. Terriers of any type or combination of types.
· In Wales the following can be docked:
1. Spaniels: Of the following breeds: English Springer Spaniel, Welsh
Springer Spaniel and Cocker Spaniel, but not combinations of breeds
2. Terriers: Of the following breeds: Jack Russell Terrier, Cairn Terrier,
Lakeland Terrier, Norfolk Terrier, but not combinations of breeds
3. Hunt point retrievers of the breeds listed below:
Braque Italian, Brittany, German Long Haired Pointer, German Short Haired
Pointer, German Wire Haired Pointer, Hungarian Vizsla, Hungarian Wire Haired
Vizsla, Italian Spinone, Spanish Water Dog, Weimaraner, Korthals Griffon,
Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer, Large Munsterlander, Small Munsterlander.
· The puppies docked must be microchipped, either at the time of docking
or, as required by the Act, before the dog is 3 months old. The vet
microchipping does not have to be the same vet which docked the dog but he will
be required to sign the certificate, which will have been signed by the docking
vet at the time of docking. The vet must be satisfied that the dog to be
microchipped is the same dog as that lawfully docked previously. If he is not
satisfied that the dog being presented for microchipping is a lawfully docked
dog he does not have to microchip the dog.
· It remains the prerogative of a veterinary surgeon as to whether he
chooses to dock a dog’s tail or not.
SHOWING OF DOCKED DOGS
· A dog docked before the 29 March 2007 in Wales and 6 April 2007 in
England may continue to be shown at all shows in England, Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland throughout its natural life.
· A dog docked on, or after, the above dates, irrespective of where it
was docked,
This document was taken from the
Countryside Alliance website if you would like more information then please
visit
http://www.countryside-alliance.org.uk/food,_farming_conservation/food,_farming_and_conservation/Brief_on_the_Animal_Welfare_Act_2006/
information and relevant forms can
be down loaded from the site :
www.cdb.org
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