SCOTTISH ministers have no plans to monitor the return of tail-docking for hunting dogs, despite fears the practice could be abused and applied to pets for cosmetic reasons.
The Scottish Greens accused the SNP government of a continued “callous” attitude, following a recent Holyrood vote to allow tail-docking for some puppies.
Without any monitoring, unscrupulous breeders and owners could try to exploit the change in the law to dock the tails of non-working pets, the Greens claimed.
Tail-docking was banned outright in Scotland in 2006, but in June most SNP, Tory and LibDem MSPs backed its limited reintroduction despite concerns over welfare.
Spaniels and hunt point retrievers less than five days old can now have a third of their tails amputated without anaesthetic to avoid more serious breakages in later life.
The British Veterinary Association said it was “appalled” by the decision, but the Scottish Gamekeepers Association said it would stop dogs enduring painful injuries.
In response to a parliamentary question from the Greens, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham, who said the “briefly painful” damage to muscle, bone and skin was “proportional”, has now admitted the government has no plans to monitor the practice.
Green MSP Mark Ruskell said: “We now see just how callous Scottish Ministers are. This cruel practice goes against Scotland's reputation as a nation of animal lovers.
“Failing to keep an eye on how it is carried out shows just how out of step the Scottish Government is with public concern. Without monitoring it's likely puppies destined to become non-working pets will also be docked, replicating the loophole in England and Wales.”
A Government spokesperson said: “The regulations approved by the Scottish Parliament will ensure that only those dogs likely to be used for work may have their tails shortened at a very young age. This may only be done by a veterinary surgeon who believes this will prevent further injuries in later life.”
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